Over the years, Apple Maps has been widely regarded as a follower to Google Maps. It has never shaken its reputation as being an underwhelming tool beginning with a 2012 rollout that was so riddled with mistakes Tim Cook was forced to issue an apology for launching such a low-quality product:
At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.
But times are changing. On June 29, Apple disclosed to TechCrunch they will rebuild Apple Maps from the ground up. This entails, among other things, Apple taking control of the data that powers Apple Maps instead of relying on third parties.
The widely reported and commendable makeover is good for consumers and businesses — and also underscores how far Apple has to go in order to offer a strong alternative to Google Maps.
You are no better than your data
Apple needed to wipe the slate clean and do a data makeover. As the future of navigation includes the use of autonomous cars and connected cities, consumers require reliable mapping data more than ever.
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