Which Do You Prefer: Apple or Google Maps?

Not really sure what kind of mapping system I have in my Mercedes C300, but it is not Apple nor Google maps. It is something else, and it pretty much sucks. It is a clunky system to enter a destination, some maps won’t let you change back to your original view, and it doesn’t deserve to be installed in Mercedes, yet is is. I simply despise it, so I rarely use it, instead I rely on my iPhone maps, which comes down to Apple or Google maps.

In fact, I didn’t even realize this was an issue, to have to decide between Apple or Google maps, until yesterday. Before I took off for lunch, I verified an address on my computer in Google maps. Never before have I ever checked the box that lets Google maps send the directions to my cellphone, but for some reason, I decided to do exactly that. And then I forgot about it.

So when I picked up my bag to leave the house, my phone began giving me directions to the restaurant we were all meeting at for lunch. Well, that was weird. How did it know I was going there?

Got into my car, put in the name of the restaurant in my Apple maps app and took off. By the time I reached Broadway, I realized I had dualing apps going. One with a female British voice and another with an American voice. They were competing with each other.

Everything was OK until I got on Business 80 freeway. My Apple Maps GPS told me to go down 99 and get off on Power Inn, which presumably I would then head north on all the way to Arden Park. My Google Maps GPS told me to get on Business 80 and slide over to Highway 50. This is when I began to feel a bit frustrated and confused because both directions were so completely different from each other.

Since I had not yet realized which GPS was taking over my phone and directing me, I decided to drive by my own common sense and ignore those two voices demanding opposite actions. As a result, both GPS systems yakked at each other until I got there and could put an end to the madness.

Although I will admit that Apple Maps has better sounding voices than Google. To change my Google Maps to a British voice, I had to delete the app, change the language under general on my iPhone and then reinstall the app. Because in the war between Apple or Google Maps, I think Google wins.