Google Maps is often referred to as the dominating name in the navigation space, especially as it's pre-loaded with Android devices and is backed by the tech behemoth that Google has become.
Competing against Google Maps is no easy business. Truth be told, the race in the navigation space is getting fiercer these days, especially as technology companies are eyeing a more rapid expansion in the automotive business.
However, these tech giants have so far adopted different strategies for their automotive ambitions. Apple is working on a fully featured car that could be here in 2025. Samsung is investing aggressively in chips that would power the next-generation vehicles. Huawei is working with traditional carmakers to provide advanced software for their cars. Google is focusing almost entirely on services whose focus on data is precisely what the company is mostly interested in.
Android Auto and Android Automotive spearhead Google's push on this front, but Google Maps is also an important part of this strategy.
On the other hand, Google Maps is slowly but surely losing its navigation focus. Most of Google's improvements in this regard and the race for increasing revenue turned Google Maps into a money-making machine whose priority is no longer getting people from where they are to where they want to be. I mean, it can still do this, but its interest in the navigation component is fading as other capabilities receive more love.
The immersive view is living proof in this regard. The immersive view combines the best of Google Maps, including street-level imagery, satellite data, historical traffic information, and more. The feature creates a realistic view of a specific location with 3D models and very accurate weather and traffic conditions. It'll eventually help drivers preview their routes, but its main focus is region exploration.
Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Google Maps has become an all-in-one mapping service whose purpose is to be the jack of all trades. But as the long-term strategy lowers its focus on navigation, other apps are here to benefit.
As I said earlier, competing against Google Maps isn't something any company can do. HERE, TomTom, and Sygic are the biggest names in this market, and their solutions are already advanced enough to replace Google Maps. Each comes with its own shortcomings (and so does Google Maps, after all), but finding a worthy replacement is totally doable.
However, the top navigation app today comes from the same company. Waze, the navigation solution that Google purchased many years ago, is right now the best navigation app a driver can use behind the wheel. While some readers will probably rush to the comments section to remind me of Apple Maps, I don't think Apple's navigation app is there already. I mean, the latest improvements are great, and the DCE and offline maps certainly make it a better navigation app. But on the other hand, Apple Maps is still limited to Apple devices, and Apple's slow feature rollout is frustrating, painful, and super-annoying for anyone not living in the States.
Waze is currently the best app to find your way around heavy traffic. It includes a crowdsourcing engine that works like a charm and a user base so large that you'll almost certainly find traffic reports wherever you go. Sure enough, it has its downsides as well, such as the cartoonish interface, but the navigation experience it provides is top-notch.
Comparing Waze and Google Maps from a user base perspective isn't necessarily relevant because of two reasons. First of all, Google Maps comes pre-loaded with Android, the world's number one mobile platform, so most users, especially those less tech-savvy, typically stick with it for their navigation needs. Second of all, most people see Google Maps as a direct competitor to Apple Maps, the native mapping service on the iPhone. As such, Google Maps is often the go-to replacement for Apple Maps on iPhone and CarPlay.
Waze is primarily a traffic navigation app, so its main focus is getting you to the destination as fast as possible. It takes into account traffic conditions, user reports, and more data, eventually becoming incredibly accurate. It warns users of speed traps, broken traffic lights, traffic jams, accidents, and so on, making every trip more predictable.
Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
No other navigation app offers such capabilities (maybe except for Coyote, which is based on a similar concept but lacks the user base to become a global Waze rival), though several companies are investing in this direction. Apple has already equipped Apple Maps with incident reporting, but the feature is yet to gain traction.
Eventually, Waze has become the best navigation app worldwide, replacing Google Maps at the top of this expanding space. Google Maps might indeed have more users on Android and iPhone, but as far as the navigation capabilities, traffic information, and route engines are concerned, Waze is by far the number one solution you can install.
Sure enough, not all people will agree, and most will probably point to the continuously increasing number of bugs in Waze as a solid reason to avoid this app and stick with Google Maps. Occasional Waze stability issues are indeed concerning, and hopefully, Google will pay more attention to improving the overall experience with the app in the long term, especially as it lowers Google Maps' navigation appetite. Unless it plans to merge the two, that is.
As per the headline, I invite all readers to keep the conversation going, so use the comment section below to let me know what you think.
Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones. Full profile
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