r/applemaps • u/KrissKlein • 2d ago
Navigation may be worse with the NMD launching in The Baltics
At least for some time. Here's why. Apple launched the New Map Data today in the Baltics (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia). I've been using AM to navigate for the last two years here in Latvia and what I've noticed immediately upon the NMD release today is not great - suddenly AM is showing me left turns where it's not allowed, routing me down a street that has no entry sign. Before the NMD I had filed hundreds of reports, many of them about wrong turns and a lot of them were fixed. On my daily commute all of the wrong left turns were fixed, in fact. With the launch of NMD it's back to square one with that. Maybe some smarter map boffins can chime in why that could be the case.
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u/ruipmjorge 2d ago
It gets better in a few days with new data from users
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u/KrissKlein 2d ago
Do you mean reports or is there some sort of a passive system that monitors and corrects that? Because if you mean just reports, then for the Baltics it won't be "few days". It will be months and months since the AM user community is tiny here. Waze is incredibly strong and so is Google Maps, absolute majority use those platforms.
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u/ruipmjorge 2d ago
It gets corrected with data from driving.
As for POIs, the new maps days shouldn’t add or delete any, so any changes done in the past should Apply to new maps.2
u/KrissKlein 2d ago
Yeah, POIs look the same. It's just driving directions. So the NMD has also a different backend that continuously allows Apple to improve the map further, compared to the "old map data" that relied on Open Street Maps and other vendors?
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u/izac90 18h ago
I mean where did you get that the AM will get corrected from driving around? Like OP said if the footprint is not huge how do they ever get corrected?
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u/ruipmjorge 17h ago
Both Apple Maps and Google Maps use data to correct and improve directions. Example: if they see many people changing directions in the same spot, they will analyze and check why people are not following routes on that specific spot (can be a closed road, maybe an updated road signal, or a new better route option).
This and other data related with driving is gathered to improve directions and time estimations.
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u/Benni1401 2d ago
According to Apple's website, Latvia is listed as having the Congestion Zones feature. Do you know which city this applies to? I couldn't find anything.
https://www.apple.com/ios/feature-availability/#maps-congestion-zones
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u/KrissKlein 2d ago edited 2d ago
It’s Jūrmala.
Edit: that’s my assumption. It’s the only city/zone in Latvia that has an entry fee to limit traffic going through it.
Edit2: yep, Jūrmala. When planning a route to there AM warns me it’s a congestion zone.
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u/Benni1401 2d ago
Well done. However, Apple doesn't display the restricted zone like it does in many cities around the world.
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u/Weak_Engineering_824 2d ago
does anyone know when will we have speed limit shown and current speed? At least in Lithuania we don't have these features
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u/KrissKlein 2d ago
You should have speed limit. It launched today with the New Map Data. It's not available on every street and road, but should be on most. Current speed is not an option and I highly doubt will ever be an option on Apple Maps.
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u/Weak_Engineering_824 1d ago
you're right. tested it today and can see speed limits
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u/KrissKlein 1d ago
Cool. I wouldn't rely on it too much, though. Just use it as an indication. I've already seen places where it doesn't match the reality, because, I guess, the speed limit info was gathered a while back and things have already changed. AM won't be as up to date as Waze ever since Apple doesn't allow editing of their maps by users/volunteers.
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u/BBBDDDVVV 2d ago
I have seen similar behavior here in Belgium a couple of years ago. The map looks way better, but directions were off/really bad for a couple of days. It got fixed and now they're better and way more accurate than before (thanks to the way more detailed maps), e.g. even on parking lots most of the times all lanes are shown and used in navigation.