Leaving Waze...

[jmp316]

I hate to say because I have loved this app and edited so many roads, but I think it may be time for me to leave the waze app in favor of iOS 6 Maps. I have waited patiently for bugs to be fixed, routing to work well, and for all features to work as they should.

I really like the concept of waze, but it never seemed to deliver as promised on all fronts. I need something simple and usable and waze just isn't cutting it. Here's hoping waze lives on and gets better, maybe even partnering with Apple or Facebook as I read on a blog post today.

Take care wazers, I'm out as of September 21st (rumored date of new iPhone launch).

[gordonski]

Remember, remember the 21st of september. Well, we'll see...
Do you think Apple will give us as many rights on their maps as Waze does? Heck, they don't even allow me to access the file system on my own freakin iPhone!

So long and thanks for all the edits.
Gordonski

[olestas]

So, on september 21st waze will be half destroyed by apple?

[cristianfraser]

Those Maps are getting its info from various sources... including Waze.

[robin1979]

Having access to the latest builds, I can assure you you will be disappointed if you expect it to be more than a very, very basic navigation system (really not much more than what's available currently in iOS5).

Though 3D mode is something totally awesome, but eye-candy doesn't really help navigation.

[jmp316]

When routing now, I compare waze to Google Maps on my current iPhone 4. Google Maps almost always routes correctly, yet doesn't consider traffic conditions, as waze does. Problem is, even when I update maps to fix routing problems, there is almost always still routing problems. I'm not moving due to the looks, but solid routing that adjusts for traffic consistently. Waze is not nearly consistent enough for me. Sure, Apple won't allow me to edit roads. However, if they correct in the first place, then they won't need to be edited. I don't have iOS 6 beta right now, so I'll have to check it out on the new phone.

[daknife]

It's certainly your choice but as others have noted, You are making some pretty big yet unsubstantiated assumptions about the quality of the as yet unseen and untried (in final release version) Apple maps. Expecting them to come out the gate comparable to Google maps but with live traffic is unwise at best. Google has been working on their maps for years. Google Earth came out over a decade ago and they've been building on it every since. Wazers have been working on these maps for at least three years now as well. Bing has been working on their maps for a couple years as well. Garmin and Tom Tom have been working on their maps for years. None of them are without flaws and drawbacks and nobody does live traffic routing like Waze and you expect Apple to be able to just jump into a crowded market with a perfectly working system and app.

Good luck with that, I hope for your sake you are right and that you thoroughly enjoy the new Apple Maps, me I'll stick with a service where I can have direct input into the quality of the roads and the routing.

[robin1979]

Uh daknife, you realize Apple is using TomTom maps, not their own 'new' maps?

[gordonski]

When routing now, I compare waze to Google Maps on my current iPhone 4. Google Maps almost always routes correctly, yet doesn't consider traffic conditions, as waze does. Problem is, even when I update maps to fix routing problems, there is almost always still routing problems. I'm not moving due to the looks, but solid routing that adjusts for traffic consistently. Waze is not nearly consistent enough for me. Sure, Apple won't allow me to edit roads. However, if they correct in the first place, then they won't need to be edited. I don't have iOS 6 beta right now, so I'll have to check it out on the new phone.

Well, if you had an Android device Google Maps could consider traffic conditions (which, to be honest, are quite precise and up-to-date). What Apple does withe their new Maps app is to catch up to Google in that point, maybe take a step ahead by adding 3D flyover-whatsoever-stuff. As far as one can tell from this Apple site the new Maps app does not allow users to directly correct maps. And I don't see any hints that users may even submit reports about dangers, closed roads or traffic directly.
Surely, Waze is by far not the omnipotent, ultimate, flawless navigation app, but as far as I know, it is (without flattering) the only app that offers a functionalty like e.g. Google Navigation combined with a user interaction like e.g. OpenStreetMap.

Gordonski

Edit: For reasons of completeness I should mention that ForeverMap aka. Skobbler (using OSM) also provides the combination of the two major features I mentioned above but just ain't as much fun to use as Waze.

[daknife]

Uh daknife, you realize Apple is using TomTom maps, not their own 'new' maps?

I'd understood that they were using multiple sources including Waze. But if they are using Tom Tom's maps then that guarantees their maps will be of lower quality and less up to date than any area being actively mapped by Wazers. Tom Tom's lack of timely road updates was a big factor in my moving to Waze from my stand alone Tom Tom Device. It takes Tom Tom from 18 to 24 months after completion to add a new road (this is based on what I saw with new roads built in my areas) whereas in Waze new roads are mapped in and waiting for construction to finish so we can turn them on within weeks of their opening. I even timed an update right on one section of new road and it went live the day before it opened to traffic.