The latest version of the iPhone is the first one that provides a legitimate reason to ditch Apple.
Posted 09.21.2012 at 2:49 pm
18 Comments
Berlin, Antarctica
via Tumblr
Remember when the iPhone 4 came out, and it had that weird antenna issue where, if you held the phone tightly in an unnatural position and squeezed like it was a lime and you desperately needed lime juice, it'd lose its signal? And Apple had to give us all free rubber-band-cases for our phones? A lot of people claimed they were switching from iOS because of that.
That was a dumb overreaction. But switching from iOS due to the now-famously inferior new Apple Maps app is not.
As a beta tester, I've been using iOS 6, which replaced the old stalwart Google Maps with Apple's homegrown Apple Maps, for a couple of months now. Apple Maps has been basically a disaster for me since I upgraded.
Thanks Apple: Twitter
For example. I'm at work in Midtown Manhattan, but about to leave to meet some friends at a bar called The Scratcher, in the East Village. I've never been. I search in Apple Maps It lags for a minute, then gives me no results. Google gives me the address, which I enter manually into Apple Maps. Apple Maps gives me a result immediately. Hurrah! It puts a pin in a location on 5th Street in Brooklyn.
The bar is not in Brooklyn.
How New Yorkers travel. In New York, having a car is viewed as a mid-level superpower, not as good as flight but way better than, like, x-ray vision. Mostly we get around by public transit, by taxi, and by bike. Apple Maps, it turns out, is useless to us. The maps tells us where subway stations are and what their names are, but not which of the (more than 20!) train lines stops there.
There are also no directions for traveling via subway, bus, or bike. On the other hand, if you drive a helicopter, you probably appreciate the aerial 3-D city models. I can't imagine who else would find those useful.
THE OBVIOUS QUESTION
Laura June, features editor at gadget supersite The Verge, switched to Android--the initial switch was motivated by her iPhone's inopportune trip into a toilet bowl, but she hasn't gone back to iOS in large part because of Maps. Switching OSes out of protest always seems like an extreme reaction to me; it's expensive, since you have to buy all your apps and accessories all over again, and there's always an adjustment period during which you're kind of annoyed and inefficient. So I tend to think there's not all that much a phone-maker can do to provoke a switch, either for or from. But in this case I think she's justified.
The maps app is one of the purest tools on a phone, maybe even more than the actual phone part. When I tore a tendon in my ankle and sat on the sidewalk trying to decide if I should call an ambulance, I looked up the nearest hospital on my maps app. Google Maps was how I found a clam shack on Cape Cod, gourmet sausages in Chicago, burritos in San Francisco. It was how I found my way back to my apartment for the first two weeks after I moved to New York, how I navigated to my friend's lake house in the Poconos. This tool, this incredible tool, is one of the most important parts of your phone, even if you check if anyone's retweeted you more often than you pull it up. If it's broken, it's not a small deal.
Maps is the one thing that's made me think about switching platforms. And Google Maps on iOS was never particularly good. It was adequate. Compare it to Google Maps on Android, which has all the bells and whistles--bike and transit navigation, free turn-by-turn, offline maps. It is and always has been excellent, one of the strongest arguments in favor of Android--and now it's much, much stronger by comparison. Even Bing Maps or Nokia Maps or whatever you can get on your Windows Phone, that's pretty decent, too.
This is kind of an unusually shameless business move from Apple; it's pretty clear now from all the Tumblrs and the outrage on Twitter and my own lengthy ramblings that people are definitively finding Apple Maps worse than Google Maps. It's a decision that makes the iPhone -- whose hallmark has always been superior user experience -- a distinctly inferior product.
Post Office?: via Tumblr
HERE ARE SOME WORKAROUNDS, IF YOU DON'T SWITCH
Since I've been using Apple Maps for awhile, I've figured out a few of its quirks. It has serious trouble finding any address if you don't include the city, for example. A search for "364 5th avenue," even if you're standing right in front of it, might direct you to whatever the equivalent of "fifth avenue" is in Ulaan Bataar. If you change that to "364 5th avenue, new york, ny," you'll have more luck.
Yelp has also been an invaluable service for me, maybe the first time I've ever said that. Yelp knows where stuff is, much better than Apple Maps does. Search for it in Yelp, tap the map, and it'll open, mostly flawlessly, in Apple Maps.
For cityfolk: get a localized public transit app. I like Embark NYC for New York; it has a full map, plus schedules and customized alerts for outages.
Do your work in Google. If you do a Google search for wherever you're trying to go and then plug the address right into Apple Maps, you'll have a way better chance of finding it than if you let Apple do the searching.
Don't bother with the in-browser Google Maps, unfortunately. This looks like a savior, especially since you can pin it right to your homescreen like an app, but it's slow and kinda awkward to use--if you switch apps, it has to reload, that kind of thing. Sigh.
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I would disagree that this is the first reason to switch, but I will agree that is the biggest ( aside from the simple iOS vs. Android etc., as that's a given. ) There has been a lot of things that Android is ahead of Apple on, but they've always been convenience more than necessity. A terrible maps app completely changes that. As mentioned in the article, the map application is a core of the smartphone. You have internet, maps, texts, calls, email, social media and camera for the core. You will find these same features on all of the smart phones, and they all need to be top notch.
I also somewhat disagree on the expense of switching ecosystems. Yes, you will need to buy new accessories...but you kind of do with the new iPhone anyways. ( At the very least you need to buy adapters. ) Apps? You can find a high quality free app to do anything you want on Android. Most games even are free ( such as all of the Angry Birds. ) Also, Android uses standardized hardware, so you can move around in Android and keep a lot of stuff. You can also use lots of stuff for computers directly. For example, the use of standard 3.5mm audio jacks allows most any speakers to be used with your phone. Most Android phones use a standard Micro USB.
NTM the accessories and such are cheaper on Android to start with, and I don't mean the quality. For something just as good, or even better, it's often cheaper. ( Just make sure to get one of the main phones, or you may find your phone just doesn't have any accessories available. )
For any that are looking to try something different ( also remember, depending on where you buy the phone, you can have up to and even sometimes over 30 days to return a device if you are not satisfied. ), I strongly advise the Samsung Galaxy S3.
It's faster than the iPhone 5. ( When running Jelly Bean, virtually the same with ICS. )
More RAM for U.S. owners.
A high def. screen ( iPhone 5 is still low definition, not even capable of 720p. SGS3 is 1280x720 )
Better battery life ( Plus the battery is removable, replaceable and expandable. In fact, there are batteries with twice the standard capacity available. )
More storage, for less, and expandable. It comes with 16 or 32 gigs on the phone ( with only a $50 difference instead of $100. ) and a micro-sd card slot, capable of up to 64GB which currently runs only about $70. So, for $120 you can have 100GB vs. iPhone 5s $200 for 64GB. Then, you can transfer that 64GB Micro-SD card to knew phones, saving you money on your next upgrade.
Google Maps!
Widgets!
NFC ( meh personally, but some like it. )
etc. etc.
I've been using the SGS3 for a few months, and it's definitely not a perfect phone, but it sure looks like it next to an iPhone 5. I was really disappointed by Apple this time around. I was hoping they would release a decent phone that would continue to spur on the Android manufacturers, but this release was a big dud. Hopefully the competition between Samsung, HTC and Motorola remains enough to keep things rolling. I do wonder about Google and thus the actual Android OS though. Will they slack off a bit now? Hopefully not.
Anyways, good luck to everyone. If any of you have more questions about the SGS3, I prefer the android forums:
http://androidforums.com/samsung-galaxy-s3/
Why not just use maps.google.com if you don't like it so much?? It provides the same functionality as the old app plus more.
The Galaxy S3 runs circles around the Iphone. Android may not be as polished as IOS, but it is substantially more livable. Not to mention its an emulator paradise:D
After reading this I tried out maps and it took me to the wrong side of the river too (in Portland). Also, Scratcher is a really good bar.
Dear humanity,
We are very sorry we can't make our products simple enough to counteract all the brainpower you gave up using them.
--The Developers
Rant on but google maps sent me ( and about 100 other tourists) down a road that had been washed out for 3 years and was impassable. Not to mention extremely hazardous, but it was their "preferred route". Of course the new mapple has bugs, its new and the world is an enourmous place.
I wouldnt be surprised if it was being "tampered" with by google hired hackers.
All map crap aside, ever heard of going for a stroll to see what you can find? Being overly reliant on maps means that everyone drives off a bridge , you will too.
(BTW the tow drivers were charging about a thousand a tow, remote location)
I have a Droid Razer and I am bout to upgrade to the new HD Razer maxx i think its. I love my razer and every iphone user I have ever talked to when they see my phone they are amazed. The ONLY thing is the battery life but that will be solved with the maxx!! So excited. Hate to tell iPhone users but from a guy that has used both iPhone and android....google is the winner
I have a Droid Razer and I am bout to upgrade to the new HD Razer maxx i think its. I love my razer and every iphone user I have ever talked to when they see my phone they are amazed. The ONLY thing is the battery life but that will be solved with the maxx!! So excited. Hate to tell iPhone users but from a guy that has used both iPhone and android....google is the winner
Apple's desire to walk their own path entirely is killing them. And the part of them that's shared or borrowed, they're suing. The mapping issue is not a step forward. Apple may be big, but they have nothing on Google in the virtual world. Good luck crossing their bow like that.
They dump their YouTube app because Google refused them ad-free videos. Wahhhh! Now you have to download an app from Google.
Their proprietary connector is changing and finally getting sized to the modern USB standard that all manufacturers agreed to (except Apple) ages ago.
That in turn means you'll have to buy all new proprietary accessories for your beloved Apple. Who would have thought that a phone connector the size of a serial port connector from the 90's would get retired? Never saw that coming.
The cool company I grew up with in the early 80's has turned into a company I parted with in the early 90's. And glad I did so.
Before you read on you should know I'm anything but an Apple fan boy. I do love the attention to detail they put into their mobile devices though so I thought I better try and defend them here.
At the moment their map app may be lacking a bit but creating new software like this is a MASSIVE undertaking even for a company as big as Apple. It was inevitable it wouldn't be 100% on the first release, for it to succeed they need feedback from their users and to then act on it. Maps are always changing, without their users updating business locations Google maps wouldn't be as accurate as it is today. So I say give them a chance to iron out the kinks before you write Apple off, there was only so much they could test pre-release before they had to get it out there.
Also zechio, as far as I understand it, it wouldn't make sense for the iPhone 5 to have a better screen resolution than it currently does. The PPI of the retina display is just about as good as your eye can see for the screen size therefore wouldn't increasing the resolution just be a waste of processing and battery? The only reason they'd need a bigger resolution is if they made the screen even bigger but kept the same retina PPI.
I do not thing this will be inconvenience enough for I-Sheep to switch. If tomorrow Apple preaches that it is better to sit on a table and have your plate on the chair while eating, the I-sheep will follow.......
one interesting thing to think about, is that if apple never stayed exclusive to at&t, the android would have never gotten their start. Just thought I would share that, pretty interesting to think about. p.s. I work for a cellular company, and played with the new Iphone... all I will say it is a big let down.
Whats the big deal with coming with things that have already been around for over a year... big screen, 4g, etc... im sorry, but there are plenty of better phones out there..
I registered a popsci account today because this article left me wanting to leave a comment. I read a lot of the articles through Flipboard (which for whatever reason kind of makes me feel guilty...) but after reading this one I knew I had to chime in. The first comment from zechio is pretty spot-on. The cost of switching from iOS to Android (as I did early July this year) is negligible. I still have my gen 1 iPad, which Apple has officially forgotten about. Though it has the same main processor as the iPhone 4 and a lower resolution screen, Apple wont let me get iOS 6 on it but that appears to be a bit of a blessing. I didnt jump on the GSIII wagon, though I respect those who do because its a good phone. I traded my iPhone 4 in for the HTC OneX and I have remained happy. The screen and camera are the best Ive used, and I have had the pleasure (sometimes displeasure) of using pretty much every popular device out there as part of my job. I would have chosen the GSIII had it not been for the cheap feel of the removable back and the PenTile LED display. If you do a little research on it, youll find that you are not getting the advertised resolution because of the RGBB arrangement needed in the Super Amoled+ display. That and they burn in. Stop by any store that sells mobile phones and check out any phone with an LED screen (GSII, GSIII, Lumia 900, etc) and if it has been on display for more than a few weeks it will have burn in. Try opening an entirely white page (GS Note- open the S-Note app and switch the paper to all white, Lumia open MS Word, etc.) and you will see the artifacts and ghosting left behind. In TV's a LED display makes sense. Its a dynamic constantly changing picture, and in that set up, the benefits (lower power consumption, thin design) can be realized. On a mobile phone, with its app tray and static icons, burn in is just a matter of time. The thin factor is not at play as many LCD phones are at least as thin as the GS series, and the power savings simply means a lower capacity battery is needed to achieve very good or excellent battery life. Open a web page on the One X, switch it to desktop view, then do the same on GSIII and compare. On max brightness the GSIII simply cant produce the clarity of the One X and is dim in comparison. I know I got a little off course (I was just having the GSIII/OneX debate internally so recently) but I wanted to share my transition experience. Its easy. I can do the exact same things with my OneX than my significant other can do with his iPhone 5, and I didnt have to wait in a line. I had to re-purchase ONE app. If anything, switching platforms gives you a chance to evaluate your app selection. I had to re-buy "This American Life" because its important to me, and $2.99 to NPR is ok by me. In addition, the Amazon App Store for Android gives me a second place to get apps, with a paid-app for free every day. Ive managed to get a full featured office suite by checking the store on the right day, and I will be able to use that app on any future device I buy. The Play store has taken giant leaps forward, and even Android ICS is good enough to go toe-to-toe with the best from Redmond AND Cupertino. Im a huge Windows Phone fan, and if I didnt have one provided by my employer I would have switched from iPhone 4 to Lumia, but fortunately for me I can have my cake and eat it too.
Sorry for the short novel, but like some others here I wanted to make sure that anyone who reads the article (and then my novella down here) knows what to realistically expect if they do jump ship. There are so many good phones right now that current Apple owners who are not i-Sheep have a better opportunity than ever to change platforms. Its easy, its affordable, and if you do have concerns over purchasing apps a second time, think of it like this: The lower overall cost of being in the Android ecosystem will offset most or all of the new-app issue. ICS on GSIII and OneX, and Droid Razr/Razr Maxx runs quite smoothly, with great animations and no lag to be found.
I didnt put all of this out there hoping to convert i-Sheep. I shared my story so other people who might read it can get some reassurance that it is easy, affordable, in many ways favorable, and most definitely acceptable to switch from iOS to Android. I like my OneX better than the iPhone 5 thats about 10 feet away from me right now. :-)
I hope this helps someone out there.
At the end of the day, I don't think the debate should be about whose map app is better. Google clearly has an edge as they've been perfecting their map system for years while Apple is just getting started.
However, I don't like the fact that Apple decided they know better than their own users and swapped in their own app for obviously selfish reasons. The reason I am an Android user has far more to do with the freedom I have over my own device than with Android being inherently better, although I do believe the latter to be true as well.
What would all have us do? Bow down to another Monopoly on Mapping? I think Apple using its market to now launch its own version of mapping software is brilliant. They saw a chance and they took it. They took in a time when they saw a technology edge over goole maps, which was "vector" based mapping, as apposed to preset magnification imaging. Maybe they could have got it a little better to start but they will have it there soon. I can imagine that many companies will help in the effort to destablize Googles hold on mapping as well. Its a straight punch in the face to ole Googs.
No one touches the iPhone usability and art and science should be intertwined. Im for more elegant usability, as well as function. Cheers Apple! Carry on.
"Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead... only try to realize the truth. There is no spoon."
Oh and btw, I'm not a total Apple fan. I only like the iPhone. I like Windows for my OS but I, like Apple, see the
evolution of personal computers... a single device for everything. That little obelisk will be the PC as well soon. There will always be competing OS's and web browsers and devices. The ones that have the most compelling user experience and provide the basic functions one needs will always be the winners. One device to open my garage door, be my TV, use to pay for things, use for communications, use to play music, take pictures, video edit, write code on, give me directions, etc. One device. Unintrusive, smart, durable and very simply the single control unit of my life. I dont want to carry a wallet, pickup a remote for everything, have a PC and a carry a cell phone. I want one easy to carry and small device, powerful enough to do it all. We all want that. The iPhone is the best candidate for that evolution to date. Androids versioning is already working against it and their UI just isnt as fluid or smart... yet. I still think Apple will have to Merge with Windows at some point but, when they do... wow. That merger would destroy Google. Not that I think Google sucks or anything but, they are a little greedy and spread themselves thin trying to take over the world. They need to develop new types of sattelite mapping using mapping techniques that rival the space industry and provide new types of penetration. Apple cant walk into the space game right now but Google sure could. While Apple gets every person a new device and makes a killing, Google maps the planet and universe in such detail that Apple themselves cant touch it.
Like, -"Powered by Google Sattelite technology, featuring Google Quantum Search and Google Quantum Cryptograpy". That is just a statement that Apples business plan doesnt cover in the next 10 years. Google should cut its losses and start making the real next level.
"Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead... only try to realize the truth. There is no spoon."
Like many, I've been having fun watching the internet ignite with complaints about Apple Maps. But mostly, I figured it was people *looking* for something wrong. This morning some guy stopped to ask me for directions - with his iPhone in hand, and a little red pin that was definitely in the wrong spot. I knew the address he was looking for, but I asked my Android to find it anyway. I DO kind of like seeing Apple fans humbled.
:( LEAVE iPHONE ALONE!!