Navigation apps direct drivers to their destinations while also indicating alternate routes, road closures, speed limits, and other valuable information. These apps can be incorporated into your vehicle’s infotainment screens via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, enabling user-friendly navigation in vehicles.
Android users can select between Google Maps and Waze, while Apple users have a third option: Apple Maps. How do the three types of navigation systems differ, and is one clearly superior than the others?
Google Maps is the most popular navigation application
Google’s navigation web mapping service debuted in February 2005 as a desktop solution to “get people from point A to point B,” according to a post on Google’s The Keyword blog. Two decades later, it is the world’s most popular navigation app.
Google Maps became mobile in 2007. In 2009, the software introduced turn-by-turn navigation, which dramatically changed the game. Google introduced offline maps in 2015, making turn-by-turn directions available even without an internet connection.
Statista reported that Google Maps was downloaded over 21 million times in 2023. Every day, millions of people use the web-based mapping service to travel by bus, train, car, or foot.
Google Maps features
- Real-time traffic updates
- Alternative routes
- Multiple destinations/stops
- Eco-friendly routes
Waze is a community-driven navigation application
According to Statista, more than 9 million users downloaded the Waze app in the United States in 2023. According to Investopedia, Waze was developed in 2008 and sold to Google in 2013. The navigation app uses real-time data from its community to keep drivers up to date on speed traps, accidents, and other information.
The program also allows drivers to save contacts and keep track of other users in the vicinity. It’s more social than other navigation apps like Google Maps and Apple Maps since it creates a sense of community among drivers who want to avoid impediments on their routes. Waze also allows users to plan their drives by tracking traffic and estimated arrival times. This function can help drivers save time by avoiding sitting in traffic.
Waze’s features
- Map chats and user support requests
- Customizable navigation experience (with celebrity and notable character voices).
- Easy fuel cost sharing
- Community-sourced real-time updates
Apple Maps is the native navigation app for America’s best-selling smartphone
Apple Maps entered the game later than Google Maps and Waze, debuting in 2012 as part of Apple’s iOS 6. The first version included 3D maps, turn-by-turn navigation, and support for Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant. It was first viewed with mistrust due to software faults.
Apple redesigned its Maps app in 2020, adding more advanced capabilities. Today, the program has a devoted following of millions of iPhone enthusiasts.
Apple Maps’ features
- Parked car function that easily stores parking saves location
- Street-level images with split-screen 360-degree views
- The software has a minimalist look and is more battery-efficient than other iPhone navigation apps.
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