Daniel Hruska Starting at 19 p.m. yesterday, everyone can download and install iOS 6 on their supported iDevice. Its most radical innovation is a modified application Maps, which now uses Apple's map data. After five years, he decided to abandon the well-established Google Maps. We won't go into whether this move was caused by disagreements over the extension of the license, or whether Apple wanted to get rid of its competitor's services as much as possible. None of this may or may not interest the end user. We simply got different maps.
Immediately after the release of the first beta version of iOS 6, I wrote critical looking article, which some of our readers may have been angry about because I was comparing the unfinished product to Google Maps back then on iOS 5. That may be true, but after exploring the maps in Golden Master and the public version of iOS 6 for a while, I didn't come across too many changes. They will certainly increase only during a sharp deployment among tens to hundreds of millions of apple growers. What has changed in the past three months?
Standard maps
Gone are the gaudy green wooded areas, now only visible when zoomed out, a dull dark green color. It is quite similar to that of Google Maps. I also like the revised road markings. Motorways have their number in red, European international roads (E) in green and other marked roads in a blue frame.
Fixed an issue with roads disappearing when zooming out. Unfortunately, if I look at the same section in maps on iOS 5, I still find Google's solution clearer. Roads are easier to see thanks to the highlighting of built-up areas in gray. On the other hand, Apple's maps can in some cases highlight main roads better (see Brno below). I can't help but think we all live in roadside fields according to Apple. This lack really turns me on. In some larger cities, you can at least see the outlines of buildings if you zoom in a lot.
I noticed that, for example, in Brno or Ostrava, the display of the names of the city districts, which serve as a very good starting point for large cities, is completely missing. In Prague, the names of city districts are displayed, but only when zoomed in. Hopefully Apple will work on this shortcoming in the coming months. Finally, it should be noted that Apple uses vector graphics to render backgrounds, while Google used bitmaps, i.e. sets of images. This is definitely a step forward.
Satellite maps
Even here, Apple didn't exactly show off and is again a long way from the previous maps. The sharpness and detail of the images is Google several classes above. Since these are photographs, there is no need to describe them at length. So take a look at the comparison of the same sites and you'll surely agree that if Apple doesn't get better quality images by the time iOS 6 is released, it's in for a real bummer.
If I look at the places I know, there has definitely been an improvement, however, at maximum zoom, the images are not sharp at all. If Apple wants to be better than Google, this is simply not enough. For an illustrative example, look at the Prague Castle in the already mentioned earlier comparison. How is your location doing with images?
3D display
This is certainly an interesting innovation that will be constantly improved in the future. Currently, several dozen world cities can be viewed in 3D mode. If you are over a location that supports the display of plastic buildings, you will see a button with skyscrapers in the lower left corner. Otherwise, there is a button with an inscription in the same place 3D.
Personally, I see this step as evolution rather than revolution. So far, I find sliding my finger between buildings more like a toy and a time killer. Of course, I don't mean to disparage Apple because they have invested a lot of money and effort into 3D maps. However, the whole technology is still in its infancy, so I'm very excited to see where it will go in the next few years.
However, I don't like satellite maps over cities with support for plastic buildings. Instead of a 2D satellite image, everything is automatically rendered in 3D without me wanting it. Yes, I'm looking at the map vertically, but I still see the unsmoothed edges of the 3D buildings. Overall, such a 3D view looks worse than a classic satellite image.
Points of interest
At the keynote, Scott Forstall boasted about a database of 100 million objects (restaurants, bars, schools, hotels, pumps, ...) that have their rating, photo, phone number or web address. But these objects are mediated using the Yelp service, which has zero expansion in the Czech Republic. Therefore, do not count on searching for restaurants in your area. In our basins, you will see railway stations, parks, universities and shopping centers on the map, but all the information about them is missing.
Even today, nothing changes for the Czech user. At least the maps show quite a few restaurants, clubs, hotels, gas stations, and other businesses with contact information or websites (the first beta version was almost completely empty on the map). However, is that enough? There is absolutely no marking of public transport stops, the exception being the Prague metro. Hospitals, airports, parks and shopping malls are well displayed and highlighted. Points of interest will of course continue to increase, and perhaps Yelp will also head to our Czech basin.
Navigation
You enter the starting point and destination, or choose one of the alternative routes, and you can set off on your journey. Of course you must have an active data connection, I would appreciate the option to download data between the starting point and the destination for offline use. We recently brought you a video of what it looks like navigation in Czech. Speaking for myself, I've used the navigation twice in the last month and both times on foot. Unfortunately, on the iPhone 3GS, you have to move the individual turns manually with your finger, so I definitely wouldn't try driving with it. However, I was successfully guided to the destination without any problems. What about you, have you tried to be guided by the new maps?
Traffic
Speaking for myself, the traffic view is the most useful feature in the new maps. Whenever I drive to some lesser-known location, I glance briefly to see if there is a road closure or other unpleasant situation along the way. So far, the information seems to be pretty current and accurate. I admit that I drive the most on the highway between Olomouc and Ostrava, where traffic is more than good. However, about a week ago I went to Brno, I wanted to take exit 194. The maps only showed road work, but the exit was closed. How do you like traffic? Have you come across inaccurate or completely wrong information?
Conclusion for the second time
Yes, in the final version of iOS 6, the maps are a bit better and easier to use, but I can't get rid of the impression that it's still far from the same - whether it's the infamous satellite images or the lack of marking of built-up areas. It will certainly be interesting to compare Google's own solution, which will hopefully appear in the App Store as soon as possible. We won't lie to ourselves - he has many years of experience and, as a bonus, Street View. Let's give the new maps another Friday to mature, after all, they will be able to be properly tested by the masses of iDevice users.
Today I used the maps for the first time after updating to iOS 6 and I was pleasantly surprised when my phone navigated to the destination by itself without any clicks and even in the Slovak language.
Today I used the maps for the first time after updating to iOS 6 and I was pleasantly surprised when my phone navigated to the destination by itself without any clicks and even in the Slovak language.
Will i4 users not get voice navigation then?
I might add in the article that even the iPhone 4 does not have navigation.. neither turn-by-turn, nor voice.. nor 3D display (which is related to navigation).. it is just a reaction to the fact that in all the previous articles she mentioned the impossibility of voice navigation and not TBT.. it was probably taken as a matter of understanding... but it's not =) ipad 2, on the other hand, can use TBT and voice navigation
Precisely for IP4, these maps are absolutely useless.. The golden Google sometimes really came in handy when I needed to find something exactly or to show something to someone... Otherwise, I have Sygic as a navigation..
I would also like to add that location sharing is absolutely non-functional. The application does not share the point selected by me, but the entire street (sometimes up to several hundred meters from the point where I am actually standing).
Does google really not use vectors??? Well, I expected more from the maps, it's really quite poor. Basically, they forced me to look behind Plan B and I fell in love with the OpenStreetMaps application. The maps are bitmaps, but very detailed with several types of map display.
No way, Google only uses bitmaps in different layers.
In the default iOS app that hasn't changed in years. It has been using vector maps for a long time on Android and in supported desktop browsers.
Android also uses bitmaps.
of course, a few months after the launch of the map from Apple, I will not be better than Google, which has been developing for many years. I think the ios6 maps look great. also add maximum speeds, lanes to the turn-by-turn navigation, adjust the outlines of buildings/cities, expand the flyover function to other cities and also expand the yelp social network. when that happens, then we will be able to safely remove navigon, sygic and other paid applications from our phones :-)
I have the impression that "yes, Apple did it" - it is for people, not geeks - and it is the first version - remember what the first iPhones were able to do - there is a well-made basic functionality immediately available for everyone and it has pleasant controls - I was very surprised, how quickly does a person get to know what is on offer for a route compared to too much detail in a map from Google, (I note that I tried in Prague, where there are many streets) the map feels better to me and it works - and the navigation is excellently solved - tried I'm on the iPad to click on where I'm going (another point peeks out on the right) - very nice - and that's what I expect from it - when I get lost, I pull out the iPad and quickly find the way - Google Maps didn't give me much - everything took a while - why the details of the facade if I'm late for a meeting - that's what google earth is for, coffee and hey mom, look, our car is there :-) - less detail = a bit faster than google maps when loading - for what it's worth - I like simple things and this is it - I'm sorry for the mistakes (our cottage is in the resort village and the maps found the first village under it - that's stupid :-)) but it's fine for the first version.
Where? OSP does not have points, Maps.cz is not for iPad or Retina
"Of course you need to have an active data connection, I would appreciate the ability to download data between the starting point and the destination for offline use."
: DDDD
I'm quite curious what rating the app would get if it was placed on the App Store by a regular developer…
I wanted to ask how it is with saving the map offline?
Nohow
I beg to differ - it's not like that at all. Today I went to Bratislava and I was curious what would happen at the border. And nothing happened. Maps only work with a GPS chip when following the route. If I turned somewhere else, of course it wanted to join, but after returning to the original route, it immediately caught on. The big difference is in iPhone/iPad navigation. The iPad has much better navigation.
I am also very disappointed with the maps. I use them almost daily. when I look at the town I'm coming from (Jelemnice), he shows me about a kilometer away somewhere in a field. I don't comment on the satellite images... terribly blurry, you can't get closer and I wonder where Apple got the data, because on the main road in the city there is always a crisis sign displayed even though there has been a roundabout for about 5-6 years !!
there is certainly an alternative to a map application, but it is definitely not possible to replace the system map object with any other map, which is then used by third-party applications, e.g. geocaching :). Simply, THESE maps ARE part of the system and others cannot become them.... we have to wait….
yes, that's exactly it, these maps are absolutely useless for geocaching, the photo map is unusable in some places as it is from a height and in some places black and white, some villages are marked differently than in real life. I don't know how to solve it... :(
Just a side note, the satellite images will not be the latest. We started building our house four years ago and on Apple maps there is still a garden without any mention of a bar
My opinion about the maps in iOS 6 was exactly captured by Már in his comment. I will only add that I like the maps and navigation and the overall design. When Google started with maps, it didn't have the map data as it is now. After 3 months, Apple took a big step towards improvement - in another 3 months it will be a bit further and in another 3 no one will want another one, and if so, alternatives are available. They have the capital and people to improve the existing ones at apple, and they can work on something they are doing. For the fact that they are starting with maps and navigation, it is great, in a sensitive, graphically (navigation) very nice design. Loading is compared to the old app. significantly faster from Google - for me, it starts with a new map/navigation app. satisfaction.
I just updated:(( those maps are like a king of sticks. Vysoke nad Jizerou is not a small town, but in the standard view it's just not there...
and a satellite image?? Misery and again misery, these are photographic materials from the year 2000.
I hope that the google maps application will appear on the apple store soon..
Just to clarify, these are not Apple's map data, but TomTom's. And they are about 5 years old. Otherwise, good for the first homeland, we'll see how it goes. I don't believe they would be hanging around for long.
Yes, those maps are really terrible, even if you enter the village of Labská Chrcice, it shows that it's still winter there, you can even see snow there :-D :-D how really these maps are a mess, that's the only thing that iOS 6 let me down I used to use maps, for example, when I was driving around Prague and I was looking for a street, so this iPhone helped me and it guided me to the street I was looking for, reliable, exactly, I note that when I was driving around the peso, the iPhone guided me, now I don't know, I haven't tried it yet, I'll try again tomorrow navigation out of curiosity, but after this I don't give it hope. The only thing that pleased me is the speed and fluidity of the system. It's really fast, but that's the only thing. Otherwise, overall, I rate iOS 6 as average. almost too average, but I believe that they will really fix the maps, it's a flop when it comes to maps
It really bothers me that the satellite images of Pilsen are black and white.. for the fact that it is the 4th largest city in the Czech Republic, they could at least be in color..
Otherwise, I think the sources for the satellite maps are from Bing, that's why it looks the way it does... :)
Does it make sense to rush to iOS 6? I have an iPhone 4S and an iPad 3, but I would hate to lose Maps from iOS 5.
It's only a matter of time before Google releases its own application with their maps. But Apple will continue to improve the maps, eventually surpassing Google.
Yeah, I'm looking forward to that app from Google, it'll probably be a lifesaver. Just so we don't have to wait too long for her. It will probably take a long time for Apple to catch up with this. The main thing is that he has satisfied customers in the US, let the others wait a year.
Yeah, I'm looking forward to that app from Google, it'll probably be a lifesaver. Just so we don't have to wait too long for her. It will probably take a long time for Apple to catch up with this. The main thing is that he has satisfied customers in the US, let the others wait a year.
I don't know how it is in other regions, but the satellite images of Brno are apparently more than 7 years old, and in poor quality.
...I just wonder why the customer should wait for a premium product, which the apple iPhone undoubtedly is, for the nice maps to mature...
I didn't say that the new maps are globally considered such a flop, as is generally written here. Even Google has some places with worse resolution, but they are different than on Apple maps. When I look, for example, at the Salewa building in Bolzano, Apple tasm has a better resolution than Google. The same for example in France, Buis Les Baronnies.
But I understand that someone who sees Apple showing their town or village worse than Google is not satisfied. Report errors in the descriptions, it will be cleaned.
I generally feel that the apple audience without ever changing nervously. When I remember the uproar about the end of Apple when the PowerPC processor was changed to Intel, today nobody sighs for Power PC and the whole action turned out to be very far-sighted. So it probably requires more patience with judgment.
It's no glory, but it can be done. At least the faster loading is nice. Nevertheless, it will be difficult to find someone who did not like the previous version of the maps more (perhaps mostly thanks to the navigation). And looking at satellite images is like looking back in time for me - I'm surprised how some places I've known for years looked like back then.
I try to report errors.
Well, it's hell, when the 40 Tábor has such a lousy photomap that you can't even recognize the barracks there..
Hello, My opinion on the ios 6 maps is that it is definitely a job well done by Apple. On the other hand, I'm used to perfect things, I'm sorry that, for example, the city of Brno has a lot of mistakes on the maps and the map is generally in such strange, gray, dark colors and I don't like that. Maybe it suits some, but not me. otherwise, for example, New York in 3D is amazing! Why can't the capitals of other countries be in 3D? I may know it's laborious, but on the other hand, I expect laborious, perfect, and stunning things from Apple. Thank you for the opportunity to comment, have a nice day…
The new maps from Apple are a complete failure, one might say, in the Czech Republic. It shows again where Apple ranks us. Just look at German cities, for example. There are maps with buildings and satellite color somewhere in 3D.
I think that Apple is not at all aware of the situation on the Czech market, or that we are really so insignificant to him that even if he wiped the entire CR from his map overnight, he would not have noticed it at all.
Google Maps are good in CR only thanks to Seznam, which has invested a lot in maps, and Google had to match it, as evidenced by the best covered Streat View site in the whole of Europe.
And I think Apple doesn't realize at all what level of maps we have here (I don't know Nokia) and it won't be easy to match them.
I am also quite sorry that Seznam is not a little more active on mobile platforms in this segment. He did release an application, but to improve it for the Retina or perhaps for the iPad, no more, and I think that's a big shame. Because now, thanks to Apple, the field is almost unexplored.
I'm also not talking about 45° shots, which also help here and there for orientation.