We take navigation apps for granted these days! The thought of unfolding a giant printed map seems like an ancient concept. I have a 1989 Thomas Guide in the back of my vehicle and I can only imagine how outdated it is. Today I simply go to Google and type in my desired location, let’s say a renowned restaurant people have been talking about. Then a map pops up showing me the exact destination and thanks to Google My Business I get some other helpful information as well. Google My Business is great for local SEO too! It is exciting to work on campaigns that involve this. But back to the navigation topic, Apple just released a pretty interesting new feature.
It is safe to say that Apple Maps is not the go-to source for directions when you are on the road. Google Maps probably holds the title of best navigational app. There plenty of other options out there too, such as Waze (who Google just so happened to acquire last year), TomTom, Scout, and many more.
Obviously it is based on personal opinion for what the “best” Navigation app would be. However, Google Maps seems to stand strong at the top and I think Apple realizes this. Apple Maps now offers a new feature where you can essentially have the option to jump to Google Maps and others to use for directions. So basically, if you prefer the mechanisms of another app such as Waze, the app “will be triggered from Apple Maps itself when you select a route.” This will be interesting to see how it works out. Personally I switch off between using Google Maps and Waze. So I could see the advantage of having all of these navigation apps integrated within Apple Maps.
Which app do you prefer to rely on for directions? Do you think this is a good move by Apple or would you rather stay away from this idea all together?
Work Cited
- “Apple Maps To Offer Choice Of Google, Others For Directions” by Greg Sterling, July 11th 2014