Roger Fingas
While similar problems have been resolved in other parts of the world, Apple Maps is continuing to use mislabeled places in much of rural Canada, according to user complaints and a check by AppleInsider.
AppleInsider reader, Paul, noted that some areas appear to be using the sort of names found on electoral maps, such as "Cumberland, Subd. B" and "Sunshine Coast F" instead of common ones. This can potentially cause havoc not just with Apple Maps but any other Apple app dependent on location data, such as Weather or Photos.
Problems cited with the substitution include navigation, Siri features dependent on addresses, Apple's Weather app, and photo geotagging.
In an exchange with an Apple support team, the company promised Paul that it would work to address the situation "as soon as possible," while simultaneously admitting that it could "fall into the category of being a longer-term fix."
Courtesy of AppleInsider reader Paul.Apple has coped with missing or mislabeled locations since it rolled out a Google-less version of Maps in 2012's iOS 6, substituting Google content with data from various other parties. Apple scrambled to make corrections, but drivers using navigation sometimes found themselves getting lost — perhaps most infamously veering into the Australian desert where they had to be rescued.
Public backlash led to the firing of multiple people at Apple, most notably iOS chief Scott Forstall. Since then Apple Maps has been largely cleaned up, given back public transit directions, and even expanded with features like indoor mapping at airports and train stations.
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18 Comments
The problem described in the article is similar to what I have observed in locations where a city or town has the same name as the county it is located in. Then both Apple and Google map have a tendency to display the county name and place it in the geographical center of the county, rather than the city you were looking for. For large counties like you have in rural areas, then the name can be placed significantly offset from the city with the same name.
I am pretty sure that google still directs people trying to come to our home to the next subdivision east of us. Apple never had a problem.
Lost, eh?
Apple Maps doesn't understand that a city near me incorporated 10 years ago and changed it's name. If I type in my cousin's address using the new name, it directs me to a similar sounding street name in an entirely different city hours away. If I use the old name, it finds the address no problem. However, the new name is right there on the map and if I just search for the city by new name, it's found no problem.
Apple Maps/Navigation is still not ready for Prime Time.
Out in rural America, it will try to route you over unimproved (read dirt or gravel) roads instead of paved arterial roads as it apparently cannot discern the difference to a passenger car at highway speed.
Not sure who Apple needs to hire, but the crew on Maps currently are not getting the job done. I know they buy data from TomTom, maybe they can get better data.