Three applications are the best when it comes to digital navigation: Google Maps, Waze, and Apple Maps. These titans cater to the majority of drivers seeking turn-by-turn guidance, although lesser-known contenders like Sygic and TomTom offer alternative experiences.
While Android users often find Google Maps pre-installed, iPhone users have Apple Maps as their native option. Waze, available on both platforms, stands out with its crowdsourced traffic reporting system, attracting a dedicated user base with its real-time updates on accidents, road closures, and even police sightings.
Despite the convenience of having Apple Maps pre-installed on iPhones, Google Maps continues to be a popular choice due to its wider feature set. Until recently, Apple Maps lacked crucial functionalities like offline maps, rendering it useless without an internet connection.
Thankfully, iOS 17 addressed this shortcoming, allowing users to go around even in areas with spotty reception. However, Apple Maps still lags in offering navigation with satellite views, a feature that Google Maps users enjoy.
This can be frustrating for drivers who prefer the visual clarity of satellite imagery, especially in unfamiliar areas. Interestingly, Google Maps itself presents a curious case it inexplicably lacks certain features on iPhone compared to its Android counterpart.
The reason behind this inconsistency remains shrouded in secrecy, leaving users to speculate whether it’s a strategic decision or a technical hurdle. The most anticipated addition is the long-awaited inclusion of a speedometer. In 2024, it’s almost baffling that such a core function was absent from the world’s leading navigation app.
This update positions Google Maps to reclaim its position as the go-to navigation app for CarPlay users seeking a feature-rich and reliable experience. This functionality allows drivers to identify and flag traffic hazards like accidents, jams, and road work on the go. The information is then uploaded to Google’s servers and used to warn other drivers along their routes.
While this feature has been available on Android devices for years, its introduction to Apple products expands the pool of users contributing traffic data, ultimately improving the hazard reporting system. Compared to Waze, Google Maps offers a slightly smaller range of reportable hazards, but it still covers crucial categories like accidents, congestion, and lane closures.
Apple Maps also boasts a traffic reporting system, but its availability is strictly limited to specific regions with the detailed city experience enabled. Even in those areas, users often report receiving fewer traffic warnings compared to the abundance of notifications provided by Waze.
Google has hinted at additional features coming soon for iPhone and CarPlay users, suggesting an even more enhanced in-car navigation experience by summer. This suite of updates could potentially sway Apple users who might be considering a switch, especially considering Apple’s slower pace in rolling out new features for its own Maps app.
