Apple iOS6 Maps - How is coverage for New Zealand?

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Forums › Apple iOS › Apple iOS6 Maps - How is coverage for New Zealand?

spacedog

194 posts

Master Geek

Topic # 109289 17-Sep-2012 12:37
So it looks like iOS6 is just a matter of days away from release. Is anyone testing the release candidate or final beta of iOS6 here in New Zealand and can you comment on how the new maps work for us? There are alot of features I would like from iOS6, but I'm worried about whether the maps are going to have accurate/complete map data?

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2963 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

Reply # 687087 17-Sep-2012 13:00
For Whakatane, there are rivers and harbours missing, the satellite imagery is in greyscale, and the navigation feature tries to send me the wrong way down a one-way street. I haven't tried any other towns.

joutei

233 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 687106 17-Sep-2012 13:32
I am running iOS 6 GM , New Zealand didnt get a whole lot of love on the 3D maps. The new navigation works well with guided voice. Maybe in future updates they will get better 3d views, but sending a jet or helicopter to that costs quite alot !

mattwnz

4238 posts

Uber Geek

Reply # 687113 17-Sep-2012 13:53
joutei: I am running iOS 6 GM , New Zealand didnt get a whole lot of love on the 3D maps. The new navigation works well with guided voice. Maybe in future updates they will get better 3d views, but sending a jet or helicopter to that costs quite alot ! I think 3d maps are only in a few cities, but none of these are in NZ. I don't really see the advantage of it, apart from it looking good. I hope google maps as an app is going to be allowed, as it is far better I think. I use street view all the time, and I don't think apples version has it.

spacedog

194 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 687125 17-Sep-2012 14:15
Last I heard you were going to have to access google maps through the browser on the phone. That sounds to me like it could be horribly gimped. Hopefully Google will do what they did with youtube and release an actual map app, because this apple maps kinda scares me for NZ. I suspect in the long run it will be good, but there could be some real 'teething' pains at first.... Mind you, I pretty much dislike the map app in the iphone as it is in it's current state, too

mattwnz

4238 posts

Uber Geek

Reply # 687141 17-Sep-2012 14:41
spacedog: Last I heard you were going to have to access google maps through the browser on the phone. That sounds to me like it could be horribly gimped. Hopefully Google will do what they did with youtube and release an actual map app, because this apple maps kinda scares me for NZ. I suspect in the long run it will be good, but there could be some real 'teething' pains at first.... Mind you, I pretty much dislike the map app in the iphone as it is in it's current state, too I find the google map app on the ipad really good, as it allow me to show some elderly people where they used to live in europe, without actually traveling there, with the streetview. But if that is going to disappear with ios6, I am thinking that I may not be able to upgrade until google release an app. I don't want some crippled apple map system, that isn't up to standard in NZ. Using it in the browser is nowhere near as good.

sxz

185 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 687168 17-Sep-2012 15:25
I have iPhone 4 with iOS6. Works well in Auckland, i.e. the maps render very quickly. Tried Traffic updates, and have not seen it work yet, but the roadworks updates seems accurate enough! It seemed as though they had updated it for turn by turn for iphone4 but it still has the stupid (i.e. absolutely useless) system where you have to tap the screen to update between waypoints. This is very poor form apple. I do not need siri to tell me to turn left in 100m, but you could have atleast updated to the next waypoint when the GPS passes the prior one. Problems: 1) Does not have street numbers 2) Does not show property boundaries like google maps did (was very useful in my job) 3) Satelite pics are less than ideal and much worse than google's

mule

164 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 687178 17-Sep-2012 15:49
sxz: I have iPhone 4 with iOS6. Works well in Auckland, i.e. the maps render very quickly. Tried Traffic updates, and have not seen it work yet, but the roadworks updates seems accurate enough! It seemed as though they had updated it for turn by turn for iphone4 but it still has the stupid (i.e. absolutely useless) system where you have to tap the screen to update between waypoints. This is very poor form apple. I do not need siri to tell me to turn left in 100m, but you could have atleast updated to the next waypoint when the GPS passes the prior one. Problems: 1) Does not have street numbers 2) Does not show property boundaries like google maps did (was very useful in my job) 3) Satelite pics are less than ideal and much worse than google's If you tap the current location arrow when start your journey it switches to the next waypoint as is tracks you moving, well at least it did for me.

GBristow

154 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 687184 17-Sep-2012 16:06
sxz: I have iPhone 4 with iOS6. Works well in Auckland, i.e. the maps render very quickly. Tried Traffic updates, and have not seen it work yet, but the roadworks updates seems accurate enough! It seemed as though they had updated it for turn by turn for iphone4 but it still has the stupid (i.e. absolutely useless) system where you have to tap the screen to update between waypoints. This is very poor form apple. I do not need siri to tell me to turn left in 100m, but you could have atleast updated to the next waypoint when the GPS passes the prior one. Problems: 1) Does not have street numbers 2) Does not show property boundaries like google maps did (was very useful in my job) 3) Satelite pics are less than ideal and much worse than google's All I wanted was a decent maps application that didn't require over the air data streaming. Not only did they fail to give us that when they removed Google maps, but (turn-by-turn notwithstanding) it's much, much worse?? WTF Apple!?

spacedog

194 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 687189 17-Sep-2012 16:10
I think the Apple Maps will eventually be very good. I suspect it's going to totally suck at first though.... Are the maps all over-the-air? Or does it have some robust caching so you can still use maps without obliterating your data cap, or if you end up someplace with poor data coverage (which...is pretty much anywhere outside of a major city in New Zealand)?

mattwnz

4238 posts

Uber Geek

Reply # 687212 17-Sep-2012 16:35
spacedog: I think the Apple Maps will eventually be very good. I suspect it's going to totally suck at first though.... Are the maps all over-the-air? Or does it have some robust caching so you can still use maps without obliterating your data cap, or if you end up someplace with poor data coverage (which...is pretty much anywhere outside of a major city in New Zealand)? 'Eventually' though isn't good enough. I am sure it is good enough in the US, but not in NZ. If they block google releasing a maps app to replace the current maps app, I won't be happy. I am sure there will be a lot of complaints about the maps in the future and how it compares to googles maps. Google just got it so right. They have also got their own 3d system with google earth, which does actually have 3d models for NZ cities. I somehow can't see apple cars traveling thoughout NZ photographing all NZ streets for streetview. They haven't even got TV programs or books into itunes yet for NZ, so we are years behind.

spacedog

194 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 687227 17-Sep-2012 16:49
mattwnz: spacedog: I think the Apple Maps will eventually be very good. I suspect it's going to totally suck at first though.... Are the maps all over-the-air? Or does it have some robust caching so you can still use maps without obliterating your data cap, or if you end up someplace with poor data coverage (which...is pretty much anywhere outside of a major city in New Zealand)? 'Eventually' though isn't good enough. I am sure it is good enough in the US, but not in NZ. If they block google releasing a maps app to replace the current maps app, I won't be happy. I am sure there will be a lot of complaints about the maps in the future and how it compares to googles maps. Google just got it so right. They have also got their own 3d system with google earth, which does actually have 3d models for NZ cities. I somehow can't see apple cars traveling thoughout NZ photographing all NZ streets for streetview. They haven't even got TV programs or books into itunes yet for NZ, so we are years behind. I didn't say I was happy about all this. Just trying to be measured in my response. I think this is all potentially problematic. On one hand the current maps app annoys the crap out of me because it is so outdated and gimped. On the other hand how much will I sacrifice with Apple Maps in terms of streetview, quality of data, etc.. Just going to have to wait and see which is the lesser of two evils.

Dunnersfella

1780 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

Reply # 687246 17-Sep-2012 17:04
I was lead to believe that the Apple Maps come care of TomTom?

spacedog

194 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 687257 17-Sep-2012 17:25
seems you are correct: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/11/apple-tomtom-ios-6-maps/ Guess that means that turn-by-turn should be pretty decent then? I haven't used Tom Tom here, but I know they sell lots of GPS devices here over the years. I always see them in DSE, Noel Leeming, etc...

sxz

185 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 687281 17-Sep-2012 18:31
mule: sxz: I have iPhone 4 with iOS6. Works well in Auckland, i.e. the maps render very quickly. Tried Traffic updates, and have not seen it work yet, but the roadworks updates seems accurate enough! It seemed as though they had updated it for turn by turn for iphone4 but it still has the stupid (i.e. absolutely useless) system where you have to tap the screen to update between waypoints. This is very poor form apple. I do not need siri to tell me to turn left in 100m, but you could have atleast updated to the next waypoint when the GPS passes the prior one. Problems: 1) Does not have street numbers 2) Does not show property boundaries like google maps did (was very useful in my job) 3) Satelite pics are less than ideal and much worse than google's If you tap the current location arrow when start your journey it switches to the next waypoint as is tracks you moving, well at least it did for me. Oh didnt think to try that! If that's the case, then, awesome!! Will give it a go. The maps really do seem much cleaner and seem to render a lot quicker on my 4, would love to see how quick they are on a 5.

spacedog

194 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 687331 17-Sep-2012 19:14
So this thing about tapping the current location and it automatically switches waypoints....that's on the Apple Maps, right? Because that is my biggest gripe about the current Maps app on the iPhone....mine never automatically updates as I pass each way point....

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