Original article excerpt
Server-side extracted preview paragraphs from the original source.
Apple Maps has improved over the years, but how does it compare to Google Maps today? Here's the verdict after extended use.
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
I'll admit it: I'm a Google Maps person. I use it for driving, walking, looking up restaurants and businesses, checking out what a parking lot looks like, travel planning, and occasionally falling into a Street View rabbit hole that might begin with "What does my old childhood home look like today?" and end with me exploring the ancient streets of Rome, dreaming of visiting one day.
But I once preferred Apple Maps. As a longtime Apple user (I got my first Mac when I was 14, nearly 25 years ago, and I switched from Verizon to AT&T in 2007 just so I could get the first iPhone), I will always try everything Cupertino releases. So, back in 2012, when Apple Maps first launched, I gave it a shot. I can't remember how long I used it for, but it was a couple of years at least.
I ignored the haters. Let's be real, Apple Maps was a punchline after its disastrous launch. But at some point, I followed the crowd. Overtime, I became entrenched in Google apps. Eventually, it became obvious that Apple Maps was my backup maps app, the one I'd accidentally open instead of Google Maps. But I know Apple Maps has steadily improved.