Apple Continues to Boost Maps Efforts with New Business Data Providers

Maps actually works quite well now - haven't had any problems with it and I use it nearly every day for work.

I'm a massive Apple fanboy but I finally switched to Google Maps this year and have found it much better. The traffic data here in Chicago is much more accurate. I love that it shows you what lane to be in for turns and the faster route indicators are really cool. Apple has a ways to go still.

More data in an app that still barely useful in use all these years and high-profile firings later. Every time I take another trip, I get the feeling that no one at Apple actually uses their own Maps app, or never travels beyond urban neighborhoods.

If they did, they would immediately discover these basic things sorely missing from Apple Maps and address them:

1. Planning a route of more than one destination. ie: I have 5 errands to run, and I need to do three of them in a certain order, what are some routes? Fastest, shortest distance, bonus points for the least gas guzzling based on speeds, stops & distance?

2. Load and STORE the maps. Out on the road, you cannot count on a steady, stable, high speed cellular connection at your disposal. When a user initially asks for directions, they should have a "Save route" option, whereupon the app begins downloading the maps along that route to LOCAL STORAGE, including the fine detail maps illustrating turns, areas off route to the nearest gas station, and ask the user how long they'd like to store them, a day, week, month, year. Upon completing a route, the app should ask if it's ok to delete that route & maps, or if you'd like to store it, or if you'd like to use it again for the return trip.

3. When a user asks the app for directions, and then proceeds down that route, and the app follows the users location along that route for a quarter mile or more, the app should consider the person en route. Forgetting their route and dumping their maps at some random point (usually when you stop for gas) because they didn't hit a "start" button is a stupid way of leaving people stranded and lost. Less buttons, more usefulness.

4. Show useful map data. A 50 foot view down a straight highway with a semi intelligible note about the next turn, is not useful. The overview should always show the users position. A view that auto-zooms to shows our position on the REMAINING route with a preview of the next upcoming turn so you can get in the correct lane early would be helpful. In-line directions should actively zoom between you and your next turn or exit.

5. Tap on upcoming exits to display how far away their gas and restaurants are. ...better yet, ever-present "GAS" & "FOOD" icons, that at any point can tell you where the nearest options are. Like asking Siri, but able to be performed out in the boonies where there aren't reliable cellular connections, because it should be able to read that data off its LOCALLY STORED MAPS.

6. On-screen toggles for voice instructions volume & mute, independent of the levels the music or podcasts you're listening to are playing at.

Etc. All things that Apple can do or sit back and watch their competition do.

Leaving for another 3-state drive in 6 minutes. Bringing the wifes iPad, and several road atlases.

Apple Maps still does not allow users to select "no toll", "no highway" route.

Apple are working on maps in all honestly. I reported 10 errors last week and within 6 days they messaged me to say they were fixed

Maybe some of them can alert Apple to the fact that public transportation exists.