Maps is one of the much-discussed weak points in iOS 6, but it illustrates Apple’s intent to retool its mobile OS without any help from its rivals. Photo by Alex Washburn/Wired
When iOS first arrived in 2007, Apple’s fledgling mobile operating system had a whole lot of Google in it. Several of the iPhone’s key features — maps, web search and a native YouTube app — were born of this corporate partnership. It was the dawn of a new mobile era, and things were rosy.
A few years in, the atmosphere between Apple and Google had become strained. And today, with Android having evolved into an industry powerhouse, relations between the two titans have grown positively icy.
With version 6 of iOS, released last week, Apple has finally gathered Google’s belongings and deposited them on the curb. Gone are the Google-powered maps, replaced by an application of Apple’s design. The YouTube player is history. And Apple has rolled out Passbook, its own system for storing tickets and loyalty cards that looks like it will eventually grow to compete directly with Google Wallet.
Even the general systemwide refinements in iOS 6 — and there are over 200 to savor — have the whiff of battle. Siri’s voice-command system is improved, as expected with Google Now hot on its tail. iCloud integration across the OS is smoother, showing Apple intends to make cloud-based services as integral a part of its business as possible to compete with Android’s seamless syncing abilities.
All these changes point to a stronger, fully home-grown iOS in the future — and importantly for Apple, one unencumbered by legacy apps from a former ally. But for now, the wounds of separation remain raw.
The greenest part in iOS 6: Maps. Apple’s first stab at its own mapping app has some showy features, like turn-by-turn navigation and 3-D flyovers, which are particularly slick on the iPhone 5‘s speedy A6 processor. But the gloss is off Maps thanks to the sheer number of reported quirks, bugs, and inaccuracies in its location and directions.
Built on top of Tom Tom’s less-robust mapping data, searches for one address or destination can take you somewhere else entirely. In my own tests, a search for a familiar street landed me three blocks over. Labels are sometimes off — since when does San Francisco have a French Quarter? Or a neighborhood just called “Bay Area?” Those realistic 3-D renderings in the app’s “Flyover” mode, which were shown off to applause during Apple’s public demos, sometimes fall flat. No, really: The Eiffel Tower literally lies flat across Paris.
3-D mode seems like a novelty, but it could come in handy for preparing you for what a destination looks like before you arrive (now that Google’s street views are gone). However, the two-finger gestures for rotating and adjusting the angle of the 3-D renderings is tough to master.
Turn-by-turn navigation, something Android and Windows Phone have had for a while, is a big addition. It allows you to sit back and drive while Siri’s robotic voice talks you through your journey, accompanied by visual cues on your lock screen. (Those with Apple devices lacking dual-core processors, like iPhone 4 and 3GS, don’t get to enjoy the voice dictation feature or the 3-D maps.)
Aware of the possibility I’d wind up somewhere I didn’t intended, I tested the turn-by-turn directions in San Francisco. They were accurate enough to get me around without getting lost. Other searches and directions queries in metro areas across the U.S. were mostly, if not entirely, accurate. With all the chatter in recent days about how horrible Apple’s maps were, my experiences gave me some hope. And if you do find an inaccuracy, you can tap “Report a Problem” to give Apple feedback on your specific finding. Apple says it will be crowdsourcing these corrections to improve its Maps in the future.
There’s a big sticking point, however — the new Maps does not provide public transit directions. Tap the bus icon at the top, and the app prompts you to download one of a number of “Routing Apps,” like The Transit App or Embark, to fulfill those needs. Some would call this an elegant work-around, but as somebody who takes the bus a lot, I call it a pain in the ass.
There’s one feature in Maps I really liked. For information about businesses and restaurants, it uses Yelp, showing the name, the rating, and the number of reviews a place has when you tap its placeholder on a map. (There are different icons for restaurants, coffee shops, gas stations, and medical facilities.) Up pops a card showing basic info, three reviews, and a subtly animated set of photographs. You can also check in with Yelp without leaving Maps. Places of interest, like San Francisco’s Ferry Building, lack Yelp data, but the number of places that do have a useful amount of Yelp feedback makes the integration entirely worthwhile — except when the place information is out of date.