Apple Maps had a rough start (to say the least) when it launched in 2012, and for a while, it was the only choice for iPhone users looking for directions. Now, three years later, hosts of alternative free GPS apps like Google Maps, MapQuest, and Waze join it in the App Store. With the recent release of iOS 9, Apple Maps users finally have access to public transit directions, and Apple has fixed a number of the problems that plagued the app upon its release. But while Apple Maps works well most of the time, it still suffers from map errors, making Google Maps the more reliable choice.
Interface and Points of Interest
As usual, Apple excels when it comes to a good interface, and Apple Maps is easy to use. When you enter an address, you can choose between Drive, Transit, or Walk. Previously, the Transit option was called Apps, and it showed you a list of installed and available third-party GPS apps. But now Apple has its own public transportation directions, just like Google. (Not so coincidentally, Apple recently shut down the beloved HopStop transit app it had acquired about two years ago.)
There are three types of views: Map, Satellite, and Transit. Each comes with the option for a 3D or 2D map. You can also choose whether to show or hide traffic and labels (like streets, highways, and park names). Turn-by-turn directions are powered by Siri; you can choose between a male or female voice, and English speakers can choose between American, Australian, or British accents.
Things start to get confusing when you conduct a search; you can only get directions from your current location. In order to change your starting point or get return trip information, you have to tap on an arrow located just to the left of the search box, where you can edit your departure time and location.
Similar Products
Google Maps (for iPhone)
Waze (for iPhone)
MapQuest (for iPhone)
Scout by Telenav (for iPhone)
TomTom (for iPhone)
Garmin U.S.A. (for iPhone)
When you use the search box, you can select a category to see what's nearby, such as restaurants and shopping. The Apple Maps database is up to date, finding all of the restaurants, stores, and parks that I searched for, including a restaurant in my neighborhood that had recently reopened under a new name. You can read Yelp reviews of your destination from within the app.
Car Navigation
For my first trip, Apple Maps found my destination quickly, but had my location wrong by several blocks. I cleared the search, started over, and the app picked up the correct location. The voice prompts are somewhat timely, with good volume. However, on the way to a nearby highway, I was directed to go left instead of right at a split in the road, and I ended up on a one-way street going the wrong way. That was scary, but luckily I was familiar with the area (mainly as a pedestrian), so I was able to quickly correct my course and get to the highway entrance.
Apple Maps (for iOS) (2015)
After I arrived at my destination, a local store, and parked, the app started redirecting me, thinking I had missed a turn; the parking lot goes pretty far back, and it seems that Maps didn't know it was there. Next, I navigated to Fairway Market in Harlem, somewhere I had never driven to before and knew would pose a challenge. Apple Maps did not pass that test. As I sailed down Riverside Drive, Siri told me I had arrived at my destination. Meanwhile, Fairway sat below me, under the overpass on which I was driving. Oddly, Apple Maps didn't redirect me after I passed the store. Google Maps, MapQuest, and Waze each got me there safely, albeit with slightly different routes.
Navigating to my third destination, a restaurant, went smoothly, and Apple Maps very quickly recalculated when I missed a turn, thus making it even odder that it went silent after I passed by Fairway. About Fairway: I was determined to figure out why Apple Maps made that mistake. It turns out that the map shows Riverside Drive and 12th Avenue (where Fairway actually is) merging, when in reality, Riverside runs on top of 12th for a spell. So that's just a clear mapping error.
You can view traffic while navigating, with orange dots to represent congestion, and red dots when traffic is bumper to bumper. There are also symbols for roadwork, accidents, and other incidents, which you can tap to get more details. If there's a faster route, Apple Maps will reroute you around traffic. Night mode kicks in automatically, which kills the bright screen so it's easier to read when you're driving after dark.
Transit and Pedestrian Navigation
I was excited to test out Apple Maps' transit directions to see how they stack up against Google Maps. I love the interface here; you can flip through each step one by one, with a close-up of the applicable part of the map.
Maps easily figured out how to get from my location to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx (subway/bus combination) and to the St. George Theatre in Staten Island (subway/ferry combination). I also tried to navigate to Fire Island (off Long Island), but its ferry schedules are not available in Apple Maps or Google Maps. As with Google Maps, you can change your departure or arrival time, which helps when planning ahead.
For walking directions, I chose a few routes that involved bridges with pedestrian access. While Apple Maps directed me across the Brooklyn and RFK (formerly Triborough) bridges, it did not know that you can walk across the George Washington Bridge and directed me to a downtown ferry instead. That's an odd oversight; MapQuest did the same. Otherwise, walking directions were accurate.
Apple Maps Still Has a Ways to Go
Despite the improvements, Apple Maps still falls short of Google Maps, MapQuest, and Waze when it comes to driving directions because of still-inaccurate maps. It also can't compete with Google Maps when it comes to pedestrian navigation, though the addition of transit directions is a big plus. There's still plenty of potential here, thanks to a large potential user base (every iPhone comes with Apple Maps, after all) and Apple's smart, clean interface, but Google Maps remains our Editors' Choice.
Apple Fan?
Sign up for our Weekly Apple Brief for the latest news, reviews, tips, and more delivered right to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!
Sign up for other newsletters
