Let us go back to 2012 when the police in the city of Mildura, Victoria (Australia) had to issue a warning. Apple’s iOS 6 service had incorrectly listed Mildura as being in the middle of Murray Sunset National Park. This left several motorists stranded in the Australian Outback. They were left in the middle of nowhere—3,000 square miles of Australian bush that had poisonous snakes and insects. They had very little water or mobile reception and some of them were helpless for 24 hours.
Well, the company has surely worked on its maps over the years, which has been much better. However, Angel Reese knows it can be much better. Hear it from her!
“Apple maps please get it together. I’m driving and the navigation is jumping all over the place 😭🤣🥲” she posted on X. When Steve Jobs resigned his post as the CEO of Apple and Tim Cook took over in August 2011, there were some obvious reservations about the new leadership.
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In 2024, perhaps most can say that Cook has done his job well, but for Angel Reese, the Apple maps still aren’t the best. Although Cook’s first order of business as the new boss was to release the iPhone 4s, on Sept. 19, 2012, Apple also launched its navigation app for the iOS 6 update. And it was a disaster.
In 2012, the gap in technology was addressed by Cook and his team. A statement was issued: “With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.”
“While we’re improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app,” he had added.
Some even criticized the CEO for hurriedly releasing the Apple Maps feature when it wasn’t ready, citing how Steve Jobs would have focused on the user experience more than anything. Although there have been solutions to the navigation issue, the problem never seems to have been 100% fixed. It’s not as if Google Maps, their direct competitor, is completely problem-free.
But while there was a time when Google ruled, Apple has now allowed non-users to access a beta version of Apple Maps in the Chrome and Edge browsers on Windows. While Google Maps first hit one billion users back in June 2012, just before their competitor’s version launched, Apple has grown in that time as well through the sheer amount of updates.
Apple maps please get it together. I’m driving and the navigation is jumping all over the place 😭🤣🥲
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) December 30, 2024
Clearly, Reese has so far preferred Apple Maps, but she might just move on to Google if this continues! While Jobs’ brainchild provides quality products, the maps still have some problems in 2024.
Apple maps and the problems that users have been facing in 2024…
The company’s maps have encountered problems such as freezing and lagging, which left many users frustrated. Think about crashes, glitches, errors, and unresponsive maps. It seems Angel Reese experienced a similar problem. Is there any solution available for this?
Well, as per ‘My GPS Tools’, users may have to check the internet speed for such problems. Apple Maps uses on stable and fast internet connection to show the maps and help users navigate efficiently. If the connection isn’t working properly, the app will start lagging or freezing and the performance won’t be great.
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And if the app keeps crashing, users can identify and address errors using diagnostic apps. While issues persist, Apple Maps has made some great changes as well. For instance, they have tried to make the guidance feel more natural by using human-sounding phrases. Think: “Go past the light and make a left,” instead of “In 300 yards, turn left.”
Additionally, Apple also handles route instructions differently for urban and rural roads as well as for highways and local streets.
Do you have any issues with Apple Maps? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Tim Cook's Apple Maps still a mess—will they ever catch up to Google Maps' reliability?
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