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Locoboof

macrumors 65816
Jun 8, 2008
1,177
158
Bay Area,Cali
The only thing I hold on to Navigon for is lane assist, but the screen shots kinda show it. Does this update have lane assist (since I haven't tried it out yet)?


It says lane assist will be in this update. Although I haven't updated to confirm myself.
 

C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,392
19,459
The only thing I hold on to Navigon for is lane assist, but the screen shots kinda show it. Does this update have lane assist (since I haven't tried it out yet)?
Would that be the new lane guidance feature that has been introduced in this update?
 

Krafty

macrumors 601
Dec 31, 2007
4,439
308
La La Land
Would that be the new lane guidance feature that has been introduced in this update?
I wanted to see if anyones used it yet or how good it is cause as mentioned, I haven't tried it and it's the only thing I really need Google Maps to include so I can free up some space by ridding Navigon.
 

Krevnik

macrumors 601
Sep 8, 2003
4,100
1,309
I wanted to see if anyones used it yet or how good it is cause as mentioned, I haven't tried it and it's the only thing I really need Google Maps to include so I can free up some space by ridding Navigon.

You can see what it looks like in the original post of the thread.

At this point it shows you what lane to be in, but I don't know if there are any verbal directions from it. The data backing it is surprisingly complete in my area.
 

macs4nw

macrumors 601
What a sad sad day when a Google app seems better designed with a slicker UI than anything Apple has put out in years.

This is what iOS 7 should've looked like.

I don't see how that's sad. Just use whatever you believe is better designed, or suits your purpose better. If you are disappointed, just realize Google had a huge head start with their Maps, and they're not resting on their laurels either.
 

tennisproha

macrumors 68000
Jun 24, 2011
1,587
1,086
Texas
Ive been using both apple and google maps for directions just to compare and here are my 2cents.

Apple maps has a much nicer UI. Its clean and their guidance graphics are so much nicer than Googles! 3D is excellent and street name pop at a glance. In guidance, I could glance down and know rt away which streets are coming up whereas in google maps i had to give it a sec to figure out what street names here where. Split seconds are critical when driving!

Google maps are much more informative! They have more of the data you need and should want to know. In guidance, their ETA graphics are much more informative than apples. And traffic is much better.

If apple could improve the maps knowledge basis, it would be the best maps around IMO, esp for car guidance.
 

HowEver

macrumors 6502a
May 10, 2005
844
388
Toronto
Actually Navigon is pretty perfect for those purposes, but Google Maps is pretty hard to beat, so I see what you mean.


For me it's the traffic display. iOS maps only show bits or small portions of traffic flow. Googles maps show the traffic pattern for every single freeway (in the Bay Area) and that's critical for me. From work I can take 3 different ways home,so depending on the traffic my route will vary. Since iOS maps don't display all the traffic info I need,I'll never use them again. That and in my personal experience iOS maps hasn't been very accurate.

As far as navigation apps (I bought navigon) I'm done with those too. What I don't like with those is you need to know the address to where you want to go.
Now if I'm just looking for the closest Starbucks I can type in Starbucks in google and iOS maps and it will show everyone around me by proximity. That's something you can't do with navigation apps that I've seen. Or you may be able to search for a restaurant,but by the time you've done all that,googles maps will have done it in half the time.
 

Locoboof

macrumors 65816
Jun 8, 2008
1,177
158
Bay Area,Cali
Actually Navigon is pretty perfect for those purposes, but Google Maps is pretty hard to beat, so I see what you mean.


Don't get me wrong,navigon is still a great app. I use to live by it. I'm sure plenty of people still enjoy it. I'll clarify,these were my personal experiences. Lol,I think back when I first bought it I paid 89.99! Lol. It is a great app though.
 

Krafty

macrumors 601
Dec 31, 2007
4,439
308
La La Land
Actually Navigon is pretty perfect for those purposes, but Google Maps is pretty hard to beat, so I see what you mean.
My main gripe with Navigon is how you can't really search for things quickly. You have to put in the state, county, then street, etc...

Also, is there a way to have it look up an alternate route while in route?
 

HowEver

macrumors 6502a
May 10, 2005
844
388
Toronto
Sure, you can add interim destinations.

My main gripe with Navigon is how you can't really search for things quickly. You have to put in the state, county, then street, etc...

Also, is there a way to have it look up an alternate route while in route?
 

crankypants

macrumors newbie
May 6, 2014
21
12
Can someone explain to me how alternate routes were enhanced to be easier to find one while driving?

I see that you can swipe back and forth at the bottom to switch between routes when you are first previewing your route options. Don't know if that was new or if it was always there and I just didn't know.

Once in navigation, I figured, OK, hit the icon with the two arrows on the right, one darker, one lighter. That just drops me back to the route overview and swiping back and forth at the bottom just brings up more details on the route steps.

If I quit navigation I can swipe back and forth again. That's pretty cool but not something I am likely to safely succeed at while driving.

Did I miss something?
 

Grahamps

macrumors member
Apr 7, 2011
45
33
Atlanta, GA
It seemed to me that this update eliminates the voice over during phone calls. I might be wrong but I noticed that Google Maps was silent during a call and only a drop down notification appeared. Speaking simultaneously with my calls (hands free) was one of the many advantages Google Maps had over Apple maps; the vocal alert wasn't distracting, kept me on track and didn't force me to read my phone, or risk missing a notification, at the same time that I am concerned with turns or lane changes.
 

octothorpe8

macrumors 6502
Feb 27, 2014
424
0
I live in New York and don't really drive very often so I can't speak to any comparison between the two for turn-by-turn directions.

But I will say Apple maps seems to return really stupid results much more frequently than Google maps. If I type in an address here in Brooklyn, sometimes Apple maps will show a result thousands of miles away if I don't specify that it's in New York. The map already supposedly knows where I am, but can't seem to get it together to maybe figure out that I'm talking about the city I'm in and not, say, walking to somewhere in Colorado.
 

Swift

macrumors 68000
Feb 18, 2003
1,828
964
Los Angeles
Funny, the previous article talks about Apple suing Google yet we have an article about Google updating Maps for iOS. I bet the next article will be about the use of Samsung components in iPhone 6. People want to hate the competition but they still use their resources. That's like a vegetarian that kills animals for sport.

No, it's for a simple reason: it would be an antitrust violation. And you can be sure that, even though it's free, Google makes money on their maps. Especially on iOS. So it would be stupid not to offer your software everywhere. Or not to buy RAM because it's SAMSUNG. You get whatever RAM you can that's best and as cheap as possible. Samsung takes a lot of Apple money, as does Google, and Apple makes money from them. And Samsung should pay licensing fees if it infringes.
 

fruitpunch.ben

macrumors 6502a
Sep 16, 2008
599
174
Surrey, BC
drive out to burnaby with apple maps and when you drive through the new changes on the highway around the willingdon area, your sanity will go out the window

That and the area around the south Fraser perimeter road in Surrey. Flipping apple maps can't get it right months after it's been opened. Every time I forget and end up on the wrong way down the freeway, usually towards a toll bridge with no way off

----------

They staycation.

Indeed. Toronto is a fantastic place to vacation. The CN Tower is great, with plenty of extras if you have a thick wallet. The ROM is just simply an excellent museum, particularly if you like Egyptian history. And the zoo is particularly fantastic.
Not to mention the utterly wonderful provincial parks within driving distance.
 

Ahheck01

macrumors 6502
Aug 7, 2006
479
42
Man, I've been trying to stick with Apple Maps, but Google keeps widening the distance between the two. If Google Maps would add Night Mode, I'd leave Apple's product altogether.

Under iOS settings - accessibility, you can change tripple-tapping the home button to invert colors, accomplishing close to the same thing in the meantime.
 

iolinux333

macrumors 68000
Feb 9, 2014
1,798
73
True. :) I figured it would be in the release notes if they'd added it. We shall find out tonight.


Sadly you were correct. Google Maps still has no night mode in iOS. One wonders if they are leaving it out on purpose... Of course they are. Oh well that's our world.
 

ix.heart

macrumors newbie
Feb 17, 2012
19
0
Seattle
Google Maps. Nice update

Google Maps has better maps which are updated more than Apple. My building doesn't even show up on Apple Maps in Mercer Island. Whats more when connected via bluetooth to my car Apple Maps does not integrate to the speaker whereas Google Maps is AWESOME that way. Apple still has a LONG way to go to catch up with the leader.
 

Karma*Police

macrumors 68030
Jul 15, 2012
2,522
2,866
What a sad sad day when a Google app seems better designed with a slicker UI than anything Apple has put out in years.

This is what iOS 7 should've looked like.

Ugh, I wholeheartedly disagree. Google maps may have better data in some places but the UI IMO is god awful. They took something so simple and made it cluttered and unnecessarily complex.

I mean, seriously, do they need to plaster green on every road to show that there's no traffic? I think people will get that there's no traffic if it isn't red or orange. Even the color scheme looks dated next to Apple maps.

The only thing I like better in Gmaps as far as UI is concerned is the ability to zoom out infintely while looking at directions. Apple limits it and you have to tap the overview button to see the entire route... stupid.
 

joekun

macrumors regular
Mar 10, 2005
196
30
I wanted to see if anyones used it yet or how good it is cause as mentioned, I haven't tried it and it's the only thing I really need Google Maps to include so I can free up some space by ridding Navigon.

I decided to try it out on the way home tonight as I pass by a confusing intersection of the 5 and 134 freeways in southern California. There were verbal cues for the lanes. I knew where I was going, but if I didn't I think I would have been confused. Where I was the road divides into two, and very shortly after divides into 3. I thought the instructions for the 2nd interchange came a bit late. I would have appreciated a little more of a heads up. However, it did pick a lane that would have taken me to the destination. It would also have caused me to move over to a right lane that was about to ending in a 1/4 mile when I didn't need to.

I have no basis for comparison though, as I've never used a GPS or navigation app with lane information before.
 
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