Zak Doffman over at Forbes—I know, I know—makes the argument that the time has come for iPhone users to dump Google maps. The TL;DR is that
- Apple maps have come a long way since they were first introduced and are now competitive with Google maps and due to get better.
- Google harvests a huge amount of data that they tie back to you while Apple collects no personally identifiable data.
Apple is planning even more features for their maps in iOS 15 so there is no reason, Doffman says, to continue trading your personal information to Google for mapping and navigation support.
This, of course, is the Gospel that Irreal has been preaching for years. That Gospel is, in short, to avoid every Google application you can. It’s really not that hard; the only Google app I use regularly is YouTube and that’s only because there’s no reasonable alternative.
I’ve been using Apple maps exclusively for several years and they keep getting better. More to the point, they’re absolutely fit for purpose. My current car has an entirely useless GPS/Mapping system so when I need directions, I just prop my iPad up behind the gearshift and let Apple maps show me the way. It gives excellent turn-by-turn directions even saying things like, “Go through this light and turn left at the next light onto Main St.”
To be fair, My recent use has been restricted to the greater Tampa Bay area, which, while not one of Apple’s chosen cities with enhanced mapping, is nevertheless a large metropolitan area. I don’t have any current experience with Apple maps in the boondocks but it performed well on previous trips to the hinterlands.
One thing for sure, there’s no reason not to switch to Apple maps and every (privacy) reason to do so.