[akshat]

I am really skeptical about Apple Maps. Maybe they can get data as good as Google. Maybe they can even do directions as well as Google.

I think they will falter on one of the most important parts though. Google Maps has a fantastic search. If it does not match up, then it will definitely by an issue.

[nailer]

In London Apple Maps on iOS 6 beta are nowhere near beta level. From my Twitter feed today, many including screenshots:

- Streets are shown as numbers, American style. 'A405' rather than Old Kent Rd. Nobody in the UK uses these numbers for directions, or knows what the numbers are beyond 2 or 3 main highways. Nobody will ever say A405 in conversation. The numbers are useless, and the names aren't shown.

- No tube stations are shown

- The water is missing from parts of the Thames

- Searching for 'Bank Tube' takes you to Bank, Azerbaijan.

[super_mario]

This is exactly what I was afraid of. To me maps are one of those critical smart phone features, and if maps in iOS 6 suck as much as you are describing, it's reason enough for me to switch to Android.

Apple is really trying to alienate their long term customers. I liked them better when Google were friends and when they made computers software developers and creative pros would use.

[mickeyp]

This is exactly the same issue I had with Bing Maps. Bing Maps is very superior in many ways to Google Maps except when it comes to what a Londoner actually care about: getting around town, and quickly finding things with a certain degree of fuzziness.

Unless Apple's offering is a direct superset of G maps I will never use it. 3d buildings? Pfft. Cute, but useless.

[trentlott]

I have this problem with Google Maps as well, though.

I live in Birmingham, AL. It kept sending me to an Aldi in New York, or Georgia.

[nachteilig]

Actually, the current Maps app uses Apple's location database as far as I know. In fact, when Apple announced the switch I noticed a significant decrease in the usefulness of searching inside the maps app.

[zmitri]

Interesting! I noticed a huge decrease in search usability but wasn't quite sure why. Simple queries like "Met museum" in New York would give me strange results.

[xtractinator]

Doesn't matter. Apple maps needs flash to be displayed. iPhones don't support flash. Everyone who uses Apple machines has no choice unless they want to use a 3rd party app that isn't integrated into Siri and iCloud.