Engineers’ work on cycling and public transit have transformed the app – but rural directions remain a sticking point

Archived version: https://archive.ph/hguLn

Excerpt:

Apple Maps’ offering might surprise people who remember its disastrous launch in 2012, which the Guardian described as the company’s “first significant failure in years”. Users were more than furious – they were lost, sometimes dangerously so. In Australia, police had to rescue tourists from the huge Murray-Sunset national park, after Maps placed the city of Mildura in the wrong place by more than 40 miles. Some of the motorists located by police had been stranded for 24 hours without food or water. In Ireland, ministers had to complain directly to Apple after a cafe and gardens called “Airfield” was designated by the service as an actual airport.

But mostly the map was just glitchy and unhelpful, its directions always a little off kilter. Users revolted and Apple made a rare retreat, allowing Google Maps to be used as the default on many iPhone apps and apologizing for the product.

  • @[email protected]English
    29•11 months ago

    It’s been good for awhile, the launch made people sour for so damn long they forget how fast technology goes. I’ve used both Apple and Google maps for the past 4ish years now and Apple consistently has better features way before google. The route planning isn’t much different either, I don’t notice differences between routes unless I’m trying to find a restaurant that opened the day prior.

    • @[email protected]English
      6•11 months ago

      I’ve been using it almost exclusively for the past 4 years or so ever since Google Maps missed multiple exits on the way home from Newark airport. The next time, I tried Apple Maps and it didn’t miss the exits and I haven’t really had to look back since I made the switch.