Having pretty well ignored Apple Maps since the first version turned out to have difficulties, I thought it was time to return to it, and check it out in real world use.
I've been using Google Maps extensively so, inevitably, this review will draw comparisons between the two apps.
The first time I set out to do the test, I didn't realize that I had some options set that were going to severely skew the results. So before you use it, check that the options are set according to the route you want. I had "Avoid highways" and "Avoid tolls" active. Not the best plan for a trucker.
So, having corrected this, I restarted the test. It should be borne in mind that I'm a professional driver. That doesn't mean I'm any good at what I do. It just means I get paid to do it. And I do know my way about. With this in mind, I was testing the app against my own knowledge and intentions. More on this later.
The route I used was between Redwater, Alberta, Canada (my then-current location) and Calgary, Alberta. I asked Siri to plan the route, which involved a street address. Siri opened Maps, calculated the route and started navigating. All good, so far.
The first thing I noticed was that my current position was visible on the lock screen. I like that. Most of the time I would not want to open the phone in order to check progress. I don't know whether Google Maps does the same under iOS 10. It did not under iOS 9. Score +1 to Apple.
Turning onto Highway 38 showed the first problem. Although the display showed me that I was on Highway 38, the voice prompt told me to turn onto 44th Street (that part is correct) and to stay on 44th Street for 20 kilometres. I would have expected instructions to continue onto Highway 38 as I passed the city limits. Score +1 for Google which does that.
Continuing on, the same discrepancy occurred as Highway 38 became Secondary Highway 643. The screen showed the change, but the voice prompt made no indication that I was now on a different road.
Voice instructions came in good time for the left turn onto Secondary Highway 825, but then I ran into quite a serious problem.
Secondary Highway 825 has a junction, shown in the photograph above, with a minor road. The spoken instructions, 5.3 kilometres before that screenshot was taken were "In 10 kilometres, turn left onto Highway 37". I am aware of this junction, and vaguely aware of how far I've driven. Again, although the screen was giving the correct information, namely that a right turn was coming up, a driver who was unfamiliar with the area and hadn't noted how far he had driven would probably have followed the spoken instructions and followed the minor road. This is not good enough for a navigational aid.
The next instructions, spoken and on-screen were for a left turn onto Highway 37, followed by a left turn onto Highway 15.
All good. But that route would lead to a mess of construction, which I wanted to avoid. My intention was to turn right onto Highway 15. I did so, and Maps rerouted almost instantly, recalculating a new route. However, I wasn't done with my own route planning, and fully intended to take a different road, because the recalculated route would have put me straight back into the construction zone.
So I turned onto the Edmonton Ring Road, otherwise known as the Anthony Henday Drive,
and then on to Highway 2, the main highway between Edmonton and Calgary.
This route gave me enough insight into the app to realize some of its shortcomings.
The lack of detail in highway numbering changes is a serious shortcoming. The spoken instructions should be enough. In many jurisdictions it is illegal to have the phone in your hand while driving, to say nothing of actually looking at the screen.
The absence of lane information is, for me, a deal breaker. If I were actually to travel to an area I didn't know, I'd use Google. Its lane information makes it far superior.
I'd like to see both apps introduce truck routes, and also dangerous goods routes. This would be of benefit to everyone, not just truckers. Want to share a road with a 63 tonne truck that is carrying a gas that can kill you at 700 parts per million? Thought not!
Apple Maps is much better than it used to be. In my opinion, it is still not good enough.
I've been using Google Maps extensively so, inevitably, this review will draw comparisons between the two apps.
The first time I set out to do the test, I didn't realize that I had some options set that were going to severely skew the results. So before you use it, check that the options are set according to the route you want. I had "Avoid highways" and "Avoid tolls" active. Not the best plan for a trucker.
So, having corrected this, I restarted the test. It should be borne in mind that I'm a professional driver. That doesn't mean I'm any good at what I do. It just means I get paid to do it. And I do know my way about. With this in mind, I was testing the app against my own knowledge and intentions. More on this later.
The route I used was between Redwater, Alberta, Canada (my then-current location) and Calgary, Alberta. I asked Siri to plan the route, which involved a street address. Siri opened Maps, calculated the route and started navigating. All good, so far.
The first thing I noticed was that my current position was visible on the lock screen. I like that. Most of the time I would not want to open the phone in order to check progress. I don't know whether Google Maps does the same under iOS 10. It did not under iOS 9. Score +1 to Apple.
Turning onto Highway 38 showed the first problem. Although the display showed me that I was on Highway 38, the voice prompt told me to turn onto 44th Street (that part is correct) and to stay on 44th Street for 20 kilometres. I would have expected instructions to continue onto Highway 38 as I passed the city limits. Score +1 for Google which does that.
Continuing on, the same discrepancy occurred as Highway 38 became Secondary Highway 643. The screen showed the change, but the voice prompt made no indication that I was now on a different road.
Voice instructions came in good time for the left turn onto Secondary Highway 825, but then I ran into quite a serious problem.
Secondary Highway 825 has a junction, shown in the photograph above, with a minor road. The spoken instructions, 5.3 kilometres before that screenshot was taken were "In 10 kilometres, turn left onto Highway 37". I am aware of this junction, and vaguely aware of how far I've driven. Again, although the screen was giving the correct information, namely that a right turn was coming up, a driver who was unfamiliar with the area and hadn't noted how far he had driven would probably have followed the spoken instructions and followed the minor road. This is not good enough for a navigational aid.
The next instructions, spoken and on-screen were for a left turn onto Highway 37, followed by a left turn onto Highway 15.
All good. But that route would lead to a mess of construction, which I wanted to avoid. My intention was to turn right onto Highway 15. I did so, and Maps rerouted almost instantly, recalculating a new route. However, I wasn't done with my own route planning, and fully intended to take a different road, because the recalculated route would have put me straight back into the construction zone.
So I turned onto the Edmonton Ring Road, otherwise known as the Anthony Henday Drive,
and then on to Highway 2, the main highway between Edmonton and Calgary.
This route gave me enough insight into the app to realize some of its shortcomings.
The lack of detail in highway numbering changes is a serious shortcoming. The spoken instructions should be enough. In many jurisdictions it is illegal to have the phone in your hand while driving, to say nothing of actually looking at the screen.
The absence of lane information is, for me, a deal breaker. If I were actually to travel to an area I didn't know, I'd use Google. Its lane information makes it far superior.
I'd like to see both apps introduce truck routes, and also dangerous goods routes. This would be of benefit to everyone, not just truckers. Want to share a road with a 63 tonne truck that is carrying a gas that can kill you at 700 parts per million? Thought not!
Apple Maps is much better than it used to be. In my opinion, it is still not good enough.
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