Comparison of User Experiences with 4 Driving Navigation Apps
I've had my Chinese driver's license for nearly 7 years now, but hadn't had much opportunity to drive in everyday life. However, Australia requires much more driving, and since obtaining my Victorian driver's license last September, I've gained a lot of experience as a "semi-new" driver during this period, with navigation tools being a crucial part of the driving experience. I drove for 2 months in Chengdu using Amap, and for 1 month in Melbourne, I kept switching between Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Waze.
The 5 aspects I care most about when driving are:
- A variety of route options.
- Precise navigation data that keeps up with the latest conditions of each road, such as closures or temporary no-turns.
- Current segment navigation, knowing whether the next step is to go straight, change lanes, or turn.
- Overview navigation, having a clear idea of the upcoming route which makes lane-changing more relaxed.
- Complex intersection/segment navigation, avoiding wrong turns that take ages to correct.
1️⃣ Amap
Route Options ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Precision ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Current Segment Navigation ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overview Navigation ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Complex Intersection/Segment Navigation ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Voice ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Amap excels in most aspects that concern me. Switching between current navigation and overview is very convenient, making unfamiliar routes much less daunting. The visual enhancement cues in complex segment navigation are particularly helpful, especially with Chengdu's numerous overpasses requiring careful lane selection. Amap's alerts on temporary road conditions like construction or accidents have been quite accurate.
Using a favourite voice pack adds a comforting presence when driving alone.
I've only had 2 bad experiences in Chengdu. The first was in Tianfu New Area, where the guidance directed me to the far left lane, only to find the correct route was on the far right. The second was in my hometown's county, where locals prefer a longer but smoother route between the county and town, but Amap never showed this option (presumably due to the distance and the two expressways involved). I tried to get it to remember this route by starting navigation at an intersection where the route could be displayed. Amap remembered this route a couple of times but was inconsistent. After several attempts, I memorised the route, but Amap still didn't.
2️⃣ Google Maps
Route Options ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Data Precision ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Current Segment Navigation ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overview Navigation ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Complex Intersection/Segment Navigation ⭐️⭐️
Voice ⭐️⭐️
Google Maps' biggest strength is its extensive collection of POI data, making it nearly always possible to find a specific destination.
Localization is average at best, at least in Australia, there's no mention of traffic lights or lane information. Some road construction and no-right-turn alerts are more accurate than Apple's, but they aren't displayed. Due to the high user base, road congestion updates are timely and accurate.
The recent update on map colours isn't appealing and doesn't seem to improve the user experience. The team would be better off focusing on enhancing the navigation experience than tweaking colours.
The voice sounds robotic; definitely avoid using it in Chinese, as it sounds silly. Voice prompts are often too late, usually warning you a couple of hundred metres before a turn when driving at 60km/h. The only endearing feature is the "Welcome home" greeting after setting up your home address.
3️⃣ Apple Maps
Route Options ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Data Accuracy ⭐️⭐️
Current Segment Navigation ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overview Navigation ⭐️⭐️
Complex Intersection/Segment Navigation ⭐️⭐️
Voice ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A great feature of Apple Maps is its ability to display navigation information on a head-up display. Additionally, the integration with the system, such as a vibration on your watch about 100m-150m before a turn, especially at minor intersections which can be quite inconspicuous in Melbourne, provides reassuring turn notifications.
Apple Maps probably has the weakest POI data, with many places simply unsearchable. Entering Melbourne's city centre with Apple Maps is like going in blind. Then there's the inaccurate count of traffic lights—for a road that has at least 5 traffic lights, it might show only 3. If Apple could accumulate more map data, I believe the experience could surpass Google's.
The limited display range for immediate road segments and the inconvenience of switching to overview make it difficult to keep up with consecutive turns and lane changes.
Complex intersection navigation is poor. Once, heading onto the M3 toll way from Northcote, I ended up paying 2 toll fees because the navigation directed me in the wrong direction on the M3, but fortunately, I got off quickly. Although the map can avoid toll ways, it doesn't show toll costs.
The voice is gentler than Google's. The prompts are quite humanized, like "Go straight at the current traffic light, then turn left at the next one."
4️⃣ Waze
Route Options ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Data Precision ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Current Segment Navigation ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overview Navigation ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Complex Intersection/Segment Navigation ⭐️⭐️
Voice ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Waze is just too adorable. It unlocks avatars based on user activity, which are displayed on the navigation route. Seeing a bunch of cute icons at congested intersections genuinely lifts your spirits.
Temporary road updates are very prompt. For instance, if there's an accident ahead, Waze users tend to report it in the app, making it easy for other wazers on the road to see and potentially change their route in advance. There are speed trap alerts, though I haven't encountered any yet.
The dynamic display of navigation segments makes it easy to see the upcoming route and change lanes timely.
Visual enhancement of upcoming road names on the map route helps prevent missing turns.
Waze also allows avoiding complex intersections, which can be useful at times. However, I find the experience of navigating complex sections mediocre, with significant room for improvement.
After entering a destination, Waze shows nearby parking options, which is incredibly convenient.
The voice is gentler than Google's.
In summary, the most comfortable app for me is Amap, followed by Waze. Amap has the best localization among these 4 navigation apps. Google feels like it's resting on its laurels without much progress, Apple is improving but needs to keep going, and Waze's small details are truly delightful.
However, Waze was acquired by Google back in 2013, and there's always the question of whether it might one day be shut down by Google.
Both Google and Apple record parking locations.
Google displays traffic lights and lane lines in other countries, but not yet in Australia.