Google Maps is many people’s favorite navigation app. Even people with iPhones prefer the app to Apple Maps. Yet that can change faster than you think.
iPhone users seem to be increasingly choosing Apple Maps over Google Maps, according to research by the Wall Street Journal. But that could turn around completely soon.
Apple Maps instead of Google Maps
Although Apple Maps comes pre-installed on every iPhone, many iPhone owners still choose to install and use Google Maps. In fact, according to another survey, by far the majority of owners do just that.
Yet that seems to be slowly changing. Apple is investing heavily in Maps and it seems to be paying off. More and more people are using Apple’s app. According to the newspaper, this is mainly because Apple Maps is clearer. For example, street names are more visible. Google Maps, on the other hand, is said to look messier.
One user who switched to Apple Maps reports that she finds the app is clearer especially at night. Less interesting places obstruct the map.
This news is grist for Apple’s mill. The company has received considerable criticism since its launch in 2012 for incomplete map data. Some people even ended up on dangerous routes as a result. As a result, many iPhone users abandoned the app.
Not everything is top yet
Instead of giving up, Apple has invested heavily in Maps and made the necessary improvements, bringing it to a similar level to Google Maps. This includes real-time traffic information and features where places can be found nearby.
Like Google Maps, you can also use public transportation times. That looks very clear in Apple Maps. Bicycle routes, on the other hand, do not yet work in the Netherlands. Something that is precisely an important feature for our country.
In the fall, it will also be possible to download maps in the app. A feature you already know from Google Maps.
So Apple is catching up in a big way and a lot of people are seeing that. So it actually seems to have found the right route.