Now that it is official that Apple Maps suck, we present the top 5 alternatives to Apple Maps that will help you find your way to your next destination instead of getting you lost. Google is working on a Maps App for iOS which is rumored to be available later this year, till then these nifty Apps already available for iOS should turn out to be extremely helpful for you. It is a good time to be a Maps App developer, for sure!
1. Waze – Waze is probably the best alternative solution available. It includes complete turn by turn navigation, live GPS traffic details, complete voice guided navigation and many other essential features. Waze also sports a very intuitive user interface and their data regarding locations is phenomenal. Waze is completely free on the App Store. All of Waze features include –
✓ Community generated real-time traffic and road alerts including accidents, hazards, police traps, and more.
✓ Complete voice-guided navigation.
✓ Automatic re-routing as conditions on the road change.
✓ Learns your frequent destinations, commuting hours and preferred routes.
✓ Find the cheapest gas station on your route.
✓ Redeem Wazer-only gas specials at participating gas stations. (currently in the US only)
✓ Meet-up! Share your location/destination and ETA to easily meet up with friends.
✓ Join or create groups to share info about your commute.
✓ Earn points and move up the ranks in your community as you contribute road info.
✓ Live maps, constantly updated by Waze community map editors.
2. MapQuest – Another free App, MapQuest is an incredible alternative to the Apple Maps App. You can easily search for restaurants, gas stations, hotels and anything around you. Even MapQuest completely supports turn by turn navigation and complete live traffic details. All of MapQuest features include –
• Voice-guided, Turn-by-Turn Directions – Like a GPS, your phone speaks to you.
• *NEW* Gas Prices – Find the cheapest gas prices near you.
• *NEW* Live Traffic Cameras – See what the traffic looks like ahead.
• Simplified Search – Look for restaurants, gas stations & more with a tap.
• Live Traffic – Updated every 5 minutes.
• Walking & Driving Directions – Either way, we’ll give you the best route.
• MORE: Multiple-stop routes, landscape view, customizable avatars and more!
3. Maps+ – Maps+ optimizes the Google Maps API so you get the entire same Google Maps experience. You can bookmark locations, send tweets, view maps in satellite, hybrid, pin locations and lots more. This is yet another seamless experience.
Complete features –
– Browse Google’s online maps: standard, satellite, hybrid and terrain. Swipe with 3 fingers up/down on the map to change quickly between the map types.
– Find out and continuously follow where you are. Tap on your current location to get more info about your location fix: coordinates, horizontal accuracy, altitude and vertical accuracy (available on devices with GPS).
– Get online route directions with alternatives. Add transit points (maximum 8) to your routes and get bicycling directions, too. (Bicycling directions are limited to US, Canada, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.)
– Record and edit GPS tracks (available on devices with GPS).
– Use location-based alarms to remind yourself of tasks that are location specific (e.g. to get off at a train station).
– If your device supports multitasking then GPS track recording and alarm monitoring works while the app runs in the background, too. Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.
– Find out what people tweet around you and engage with them in a conversation. Log in to Twitter to view your friends’ tweets on the map.
– Add labels to your bookmarks (alarms, pins, routes, tracks).
– Export your bookmarks (alarms, pins, tracks) to GPX via mail or iTunes.
– Import bookmarks by opening a GPX file with Maps+ using Safari, Mail or any other app that supports quick look.
– Link to alarms and pins. Open these links on your device to add them to your bookmarks in Maps+. Sample link: http://mapspl.us/pin?coordinates=37.331966,122.030232&name=Apple
– Simple and clean user interface: all features can be accessed via 1 button. You can put buttons on the map for those features that you use frequently.
4. Bing – Apart from the other fancy features, Bing from Microsoft also Maps. The data has been collected by Microsoft and is completely different engine which has proven to be quite robust. Not exactly as feature rich like the other alternative available, but hey, atleast it works.
5. Scout by TeleNav – For free, Scout offers way too many features. Your Scout dashboard feature traffic details, weather details, turn by turn directions, places, favorites and more. The App mostly works all the time, but not always. The data still appears to be raw and needs to mature over time by adding completely descriptive and detailed information. Lane assit, complete voice integration and voice commands are some exciting features of Scout.
Complete features –
Scout For Free:
✔ Dashboard – Get traffic, weather and commute drive times on one easy screen
✔ Turn-by-Turn Directions – Pick your route and get visual directions on the latest maps with award-winning Telenav® GPS navigation
✔ Traffic – See real-time traffic and ETAs
✔ Places – Use one-tap search to quickly find coffee, restaurants and the cheapest gas stations nearby
✔ Favorites – Save your faves and sync them online at www.scout.me, where you’ll discover events, activities, and fun things to do such as concerts and shows, hiking trails, parks and family fun
✔ NEW! Voice Commands – Speak, don’t type, to navigate hands freeScout Plus In-App Purchase:
✔ NEW! Always There Navigation – Download offline maps to keep navigating when you lose cell coverage
✔ Voice GPS Navigation – Get spoken turn-by-turn directions
✔ Traffic rerouting – Avoid traffic jams with automatic rerouting and traffic flow and speed pace views
✔ Speed Traps & Red Light Cameras – Avoid tickets and drive safer with red light camera and police speed trap alerts
✔ Lane Assist – Never miss an exit with easy-to-follow guidance on the correct lane to be in
Which is your favorite App? Let us know in the comments section below.