7 ms·

Apple Maps has been better than Google Maps for me (especially UI wise) for several years now. Siri may not be perfect but she’s pretty darn good and, frankly,

Apple Maps has been better than Google Maps for me (especially UI wise) for several years now. Siri may not be perfect but she’s pretty darn good and, frankly, the only trustworthy assistant on the market.

guidedlight 8y ago
Google Assistant is more capable than Siri. Apple has lost a lot of ground.
- icanhackit 8y ago
  True for now, but WWDC in June might tell a different story.
  - cozzyd 8y ago
    Yeah, they can enlist VW's help in story telling.
  - pier25 8y ago
    I siriously doubt it.
    - icanhackit 8y ago
      I was responding to the "Apple has lost a lot of ground" part, I'm not suggesting Apple will overtake Google with their assistant. I should have quoted the original text.
      - pier25 8y ago
        Oh, right. Thanks for making that clear.
- threeseed 8y ago
  And until Apple abandons their position on privacy as well as builds their own search engine/advertising platform they will forever struggle with Google. For better or worse that's the road Apple chose.
  - bobsil1 8y ago
    More likely Google/FB's surveillance model gets incrementally banned.
    - fiblye 8y ago
      It might end up superficially banned in the EU or something, but their data collection is just too valuable to America, China, and Europe's governments to actually forbid.
  - taurath 8y ago
    And that’s why I’m on their platform despite the drawbacks.
    - jacksmith21006 8y ago
      Sounds like you might want to actually read the Apple privacy agreement. Here is a copy for you. https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/ https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/ Think you might be surprised of what data Apple is able to collect. The one that most bothers me is quoted here. "When you share your content with family and friends using Apple products, send gift certificates and products, or invite others to participate in Apple services or forums, Apple may collect the information you provide about those people such as name, mailing address, email address, and phone number. " Apple is great at marketing but was hoping we could have a discussion on reality.
  - jacksmith21006 8y ago
    That is NOT true. Here in the US is the Apple privacy agreement. https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/ https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/ Apple has access to all the same data. Plus Apple even takes the right to collect data on people you interact with. I quote "When you share your content with family and friends using Apple products, send gift certificates and products, or invite others to participate in Apple services or forums, Apple may collect the information you provide about those people such as name, mailing address, email address, and phone number. Apple will use such information to fulfill your requests, provide the relevant product or service, or for anti-fraud purposes." Wish we could end this narrative that is just not true. Heck Apple told the TV networks they would share your viewing data on the Apple TV. "Apple TV service will share viewing data with networks, report claims" http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/apple-tv-service-will-share-viewing-data-with-networks-report-claims-2933925 http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/apple-tv-service-will-sha... Google will target ads in some cases but they are not giving your data away to a third party. Plus Apple handing over all their users data in China has to be the biggest privacy betrayal example with any big tech company in the US. Have we ever had anything else like it? "Campaign targets Apple over privacy betrayal for Chinese iCloud users" https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/03/apple-privacy-betrayal-for-chinese-icloud-users/ https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/03/apple-privacy... Ironically China gov was hacking Gmail accounts and Google instead chose to leave China. I get marketing but hope on HN we can use reality instead of marketing narratives.
nemonemo 8y ago
After reading this comment, I genuinely wondered in which aspects Apple Maps is better than Google Maps, since I've mostly used Google Maps for years. So I just opened up the Apple Maps and searched a few places, and it was surprisingly responsive. There are a few deficiencies, but I could see why Apple's map itself could be good enough for 90% of people. IMO, navigation is a different story. I think navigation is one area where the up-to-date accurate information matters, and it seems Google has advantages in this part, thanks to Waze and its massive geo data. Also, Apple navigation UI really needs some critical improvements, like first-person perspective.
- mantas 8y ago
  TBH Google navigation sucks in recent years. No, I'm not going to take dirt road shortcut while driving on highways is supposed to be 10min longer. If locals speed on that dirt road in their AWD vehicles, that doesn't mean I'll do 70km/h on unknown dirt road in a small FWD car. It got to the point that I'm double-checking all Gmaps directions on other services. And if I know area well enough, I don't need Gmaps at all..
  - jacksmith21006 8y ago
    Used Google Maps all across Europe not long ago on holiday and just amazed how well it works. Kids would try with Apple Maps and mostly we would end up laughing as it directed us to some crazy place that Google Maps would get on the first try. But my issue is the bigger picture. I just do not get why it is acceptable at Apple to provide a poor user experience with Siri and Apple Maps compared to competitors?
    - mantas 8y ago
      Incidentally, I am in Europe. Apple was laughably bad a couple years ago, but it's getting better. Although still not as good as Google. But now Apple conservative routing sometimes is better than Google's too opportunistic one. Another problem is Google still can't get house numbering correctly. They just don't care and get be off by 0.5km in some developments. What is worst, they don't tell they don't know exact location. They pretend to guesstimate it and sometimes it goes really wrong. Sometimes their guesstimation messes up the address itself too. For example, recently I was looking for XYZ square #123. They routed me to XYZ street #123 instead. Which was in a different neighbourhood. All in all, neither Google nor Apple beats old good Garmin and local mapping with UI brought straight from early 00s. Both Apple and Google and care about smaller markets or less visited locations. If 90% of their customers are happy 90% of time, I guess that's enough for them :/
veidr 8y ago
> pretty darn good Compared to what? A cat? Siri is worst-of-class technology in terms of voice-based assistant. I carry both Apple's latest phone and Google's latest phone, and it would never occur to me to use Siri for a voice task other than "set timer" (so it buzzes on my watch too). It's true that Apple is the only company playing this game that I might trust with an in-home always-connected assistant appliance like HomePod/Alexa/Google-whatever, but since Siri utterly sucks, I do not.
- jacksmith21006 8y ago
  Completely agree and have a tough time understanding how anyone could push back? Yet you are down voted? I do not get why it is acceptable now for Apple to provide an inferior user experience? Why do people defend it? If people really need it broken down here is a great link. https://www.justinobeirne.com/google-maps-moat/ https://www.justinobeirne.com/google-maps-moat/ On Siri it seems like people finally agree that Siri is horrible compared to the Google Assistant. Also why acceptable? This is about self driving cars. Apple cars kill people will that also be acceptable? Why?

guidedlight 8y ago

Google Assistant is more capable than Siri. Apple has lost a lot of ground.

icanhackit 8y ago
True for now, but WWDC in June might tell a different story.
- cozzyd 8y ago
  Yeah, they can enlist VW's help in story telling.
- pier25 8y ago
  I siriously doubt it.
  - icanhackit 8y ago
    I was responding to the "Apple has lost a lot of ground" part, I'm not suggesting Apple will overtake Google with their assistant. I should have quoted the original text.
    - pier25 8y ago
      Oh, right. Thanks for making that clear.
threeseed 8y ago
And until Apple abandons their position on privacy as well as builds their own search engine/advertising platform they will forever struggle with Google. For better or worse that's the road Apple chose.
- bobsil1 8y ago
  More likely Google/FB's surveillance model gets incrementally banned.
  - fiblye 8y ago
    It might end up superficially banned in the EU or something, but their data collection is just too valuable to America, China, and Europe's governments to actually forbid.
- taurath 8y ago
  And that’s why I’m on their platform despite the drawbacks.
  - jacksmith21006 8y ago
    Sounds like you might want to actually read the Apple privacy agreement. Here is a copy for you. https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/ https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/ Think you might be surprised of what data Apple is able to collect. The one that most bothers me is quoted here. "When you share your content with family and friends using Apple products, send gift certificates and products, or invite others to participate in Apple services or forums, Apple may collect the information you provide about those people such as name, mailing address, email address, and phone number. " Apple is great at marketing but was hoping we could have a discussion on reality.
- jacksmith21006 8y ago
  That is NOT true. Here in the US is the Apple privacy agreement. https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/ https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/ Apple has access to all the same data. Plus Apple even takes the right to collect data on people you interact with. I quote "When you share your content with family and friends using Apple products, send gift certificates and products, or invite others to participate in Apple services or forums, Apple may collect the information you provide about those people such as name, mailing address, email address, and phone number. Apple will use such information to fulfill your requests, provide the relevant product or service, or for anti-fraud purposes." Wish we could end this narrative that is just not true. Heck Apple told the TV networks they would share your viewing data on the Apple TV. "Apple TV service will share viewing data with networks, report claims" http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/apple-tv-service-will-share-viewing-data-with-networks-report-claims-2933925 http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/apple-tv-service-will-sha... Google will target ads in some cases but they are not giving your data away to a third party. Plus Apple handing over all their users data in China has to be the biggest privacy betrayal example with any big tech company in the US. Have we ever had anything else like it? "Campaign targets Apple over privacy betrayal for Chinese iCloud users" https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/03/apple-privacy-betrayal-for-chinese-icloud-users/ https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/03/apple-privacy... Ironically China gov was hacking Gmail accounts and Google instead chose to leave China. I get marketing but hope on HN we can use reality instead of marketing narratives.

nemonemo 8y ago

After reading this comment, I genuinely wondered in which aspects Apple Maps is better than Google Maps, since I've mostly used Google Maps for years. So I just opened up the Apple Maps and searched a few places, and it was surprisingly responsive. There are a few deficiencies, but I could see why Apple's map itself could be good enough for 90% of people. IMO, navigation is a different story. I think navigation is one area where the up-to-date accurate information matters, and it seems Google has advantages in this part, thanks to Waze and its massive geo data. Also, Apple navigation UI really needs some critical improvements, like first-person perspective.

mantas 8y ago
TBH Google navigation sucks in recent years. No, I'm not going to take dirt road shortcut while driving on highways is supposed to be 10min longer. If locals speed on that dirt road in their AWD vehicles, that doesn't mean I'll do 70km/h on unknown dirt road in a small FWD car. It got to the point that I'm double-checking all Gmaps directions on other services. And if I know area well enough, I don't need Gmaps at all..
- jacksmith21006 8y ago
  Used Google Maps all across Europe not long ago on holiday and just amazed how well it works. Kids would try with Apple Maps and mostly we would end up laughing as it directed us to some crazy place that Google Maps would get on the first try. But my issue is the bigger picture. I just do not get why it is acceptable at Apple to provide a poor user experience with Siri and Apple Maps compared to competitors?
  - mantas 8y ago
    Incidentally, I am in Europe. Apple was laughably bad a couple years ago, but it's getting better. Although still not as good as Google. But now Apple conservative routing sometimes is better than Google's too opportunistic one. Another problem is Google still can't get house numbering correctly. They just don't care and get be off by 0.5km in some developments. What is worst, they don't tell they don't know exact location. They pretend to guesstimate it and sometimes it goes really wrong. Sometimes their guesstimation messes up the address itself too. For example, recently I was looking for XYZ square #123. They routed me to XYZ street #123 instead. Which was in a different neighbourhood. All in all, neither Google nor Apple beats old good Garmin and local mapping with UI brought straight from early 00s. Both Apple and Google and care about smaller markets or less visited locations. If 90% of their customers are happy 90% of time, I guess that's enough for them :/

veidr 8y ago

> pretty darn good Compared to what? A cat? Siri is worst-of-class technology in terms of voice-based assistant. I carry both Apple's latest phone and Google's latest phone, and it would never occur to me to use Siri for a voice task other than "set timer" (so it buzzes on my watch too). It's true that Apple is the only company playing this game that I might trust with an in-home always-connected assistant appliance like HomePod/Alexa/Google-whatever, but since Siri utterly sucks, I do not.

jacksmith21006 8y ago
Completely agree and have a tough time understanding how anyone could push back? Yet you are down voted? I do not get why it is acceptable now for Apple to provide an inferior user experience? Why do people defend it? If people really need it broken down here is a great link. https://www.justinobeirne.com/google-maps-moat/ https://www.justinobeirne.com/google-maps-moat/ On Siri it seems like people finally agree that Siri is horrible compared to the Google Assistant. Also why acceptable? This is about self driving cars. Apple cars kill people will that also be acceptable? Why?