The outcry surrounding Apple's proprietary Maps app for the iPhone 5 has become so raucous that Apple's CEO himself, Tim Cook, had to issue a formal apology for the failure of the software to follow through with the Cupertino-based company's promises.
The volume of complaints has soared, muffling balanced comparisons between Google Maps and Apple's Map App. Enter Consumer Reports, who recently conducted an in-depth analysis of both apps' practical navigation software. What the site found may surprise readers.
While the report acknowledges that Apple's app has a long way to go before it catches up with Google maps' feature set, writer Jeff Bartlett concluded that "both Apple and Google navigation apps provide clear routing directions," even if Apple's product is "less mature." Apple's maps may have had a rocky start, but Bartlett foresees the software to sharpen with time. In conjunction with Apple's well-reviewed 3D "Flyover" feature, a refined release of the Maps app could very well usurp Google from its long-staid reign. After testing the Map Apps on the iPhone 5 in comparison with Google Maps on the Samsung Galaxy S3, Consumer Reports "found that both Apple Maps and google Maps route effectively, providing clear guidance and great points-of-interest integration."
On the traffic front, the site looked more favorably at Google Maps due to Apple's lack of UI indicators. "The iPhone doesn't highlight roads where traffic is flowing well, and the red dashes and yellow overlays of roads meant to indicate stopped or slow traffic aren't nearly as vivid as those in Google apps," Bartlett writes.
Consumer Reports also found that points of interest also functioned well in both apps.
Apple's Maps app is still in its infancy, and as with any other piece of software, will fill out with time.