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Waze v Google maps. Real world opinions anyone?
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None really.
My Waze trial was a couple of years back and I wasn't that impressed with it, the a rumour came around that it was going to become paid-for and I haven't bothered with it again.
I did try to wean myself off Google maps while abroad but, like Microsoft products under Windows, it seemed the best integrated and gave me all I needed, in a clear and easy to understand way. It's probably the same with all products but I was so impressed that it can even tell me what to expect to see on road signs at my junctions wherever I am in the world, also I liked that it worked across some fairly barren bits of the US (e.g. Death Valley)
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I used to be a Waze editor, back when it started.
At that time even Google maps was pretty poor, and Waze was a bit better and more innovative. But still poor., I thought.
I tried Waze again recently and wasn't that impressed. Google maps has come on hugely (of course, they own Waze now as well anyway).
So today, if you don't want a dedicated TomTom (my preference still) or Garmin, I'd be going for Google maps.
The TomTom Mobile app on the iPhone is actually pretty good, but not that cheap.
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Downloaded it in the USA as free Navigation 2013. Not much screen appeal -still in my phone. In fact opened it up now to check out a route we're using tomorrow. I'll ping the route to my car now and see what it comes up with now in comparison.
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Both determine detail a route pretty well, and pretty efficiently based on map information (rather than traffic or other incident) and both seem equally correct.
Waze really good on real-time information from other users. Really good on understanding local, temporary changes. Picks up on police presence / accidents really quickly.
In Santiago at least Wave is quite crap at sorting out a particular number in a long street. Its also pretty s*** at re-routing on the fly with changing situations.
It also murders my battery.
Google Maps good on battery, good on pinpointing the exact address, pretty crap on temporary, local and brief changes. Good on rerouting either on current progress or on accidents/roadworks 'formally' reported.
So I have both and use one or other depending on the type of destination and journey.
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I probably installed Waze and quickly deleted it when it first was available.
In my car, providing it was Internet access, the inbuilt sat nav will download traffic updates from TomTom and I always found them good.
For longer journeys where I want the ability to plan I will probably plug in the phone and enable Wifi hotspot. But then it's a few touches away from launching either Google Maps or Waze via Android Auto.
Can't use TomTom on the phone (yet) on the infotainment screen because I've not managed to connect from my SGS6 using MirrorLink. Might not bother. Also haven't got the Columbus sat nav unit to audibly warn about the speed cameras I added but I can run the PocketGPSWorld app on the phone and the icons are on screen.
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Bit confused..
>>I probably installed Waze and quickly deleted it when it first was available.
>>a few touches away from launching either Google Maps or Waze
So you use Waze or not? And what do you think of the differences between Waze and Google Maps?
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Waze was an app eons ago. Well maybe not eons. But I thought it was cr*p. So deleted.
New car with Android Auto so definite supported apps are Google and Waze. So I have downloaded waze again. Unlikely to use it compared to Google or just the car's native navigation plus TomTom for traffic (Via mobile data).
Last edited by: rtj70 on Sat 28 Oct 17 at 02:27
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Don't like the Waze interface, see no reason to clutter up my phone memory with another mapping app when google maps does such a sterling job for me in the UK and Europe.
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My experience with Google maps traffic, and traffic is about 75% of the reason I'm usually using Satnav at all, is that it's pretty good at the big roads, but not so good as TomTom for the little side roads.
I'm always amazed to be told by TomTom to within 100yards where the traffic is in my village, for example, or up some little B road round Upton Dupton. Google is brilliant at telling you about the M4 (as is TomTom) but weaker elsewhere, it seems to me.
Or has that changed?
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I'd say that's changed, Google traffic seems really accurate to me on all roads, including small side turns and "B" roads, and is always accurate about where a delay starts, ends, and goes yellow to red or vice versa.
Really ought not be surprising given that it's done by tracking the position and speed of mobile phones, with some very smart algorithms to exclude those which are not relevant. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Traffic
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I'd say that's changed as well. My recent experience on the Devon Cornwall border was nothing short of brilliant,, even to the extent of using a tidal side road when the tide was out and using ferries when there was no queue
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>> I'd say that's changed as well.
Certainly very accurate locally. Even to point it shows slight delay at combined canal rail bridge which is single track/alternate direction controlled by traffic lights.
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Not up to date on this because I haven't used Waze for a few months. I was always reluctant to use it because it was clearly very processor/battery heavy and the phone always got very hot.
I gave up about a year ago, tried it again some months ago and found the same thing.
Google is now so good at traffic and ETA prediction that I see no need for Waze - although Google may well be using some of its algorithms.
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I love Waze, although on a longer journey you need to be able to have your phone on charge as it uses a lot of juice. It is still free.
A very useful asset on the Smart M3, which basically means it is safer to know if there is a car stopped on the inside lane.
Twice recently it has directed me off the M25 when there was nothing apparent ahead, only to rejoin a more or less clear motorway which had been blocked by an accident.
I thought Google/Garmin would do the same thing, so decided to do a check. On a trip to Carmarthen the driver was using Garmin and I had the two phones (his) with Google and (mine) Waze running.
Waze directed us off the M4 near Swansea and, as we reached the top of the slipway, a sea of red lights could be seen further on the motorway. Neither of the other systems were as quick and had we gone any further we could not have avoided the blocked motorway. Others attending the same do missed dinner, having been delayed for a couple of hours by an overturned caravan.
On actual routing, we unfortunately followed the drivers Garmin and Google, which took us via Bath on a Bank Holiday Friday ...Waze had tried to take us north from Salisbury which I suspect would have been a far better journey.
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I use Google around London. I find it always underestimates the journey length times, but identifies the really bad spots well in advance.
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Interesting experiment with waze today.
Was at a dog show few miles away from Brands Hatch today. Sent the destination to my inbuilt sat nav last night, and set up waze to do the journey as well..
They had a bit of a disagreement about the route, Waze wanted M25 / M26 / A20(North), Beemer Brunhilda wanted M25 / A20(south). Waze had an arrival time 7 minutes ahead of Brunhildas arrival time.
Brunhilda won, and arrival time was actually 7 minutes earlier than predicted, so exactly the same time as Waze.
Quite like waze, like the advance warning of cautionary incidents ahead (all accurate on the way back) and speed camera warnings, but you need to really pare down what it reports, the map is very cluttered, gives variable warning distance units (sometimes feet, sometimes yards, sometimes fractions of miles) and it really uses the phone hardware, getting quite warm.
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Its the battery consumption of Waze that kills it for me. Not that Google Maps is light on a battery, but Waze is far too heavy. And I worry about it charging while using Waze because, as you said, it gets very hot.
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So what do you do with a 7 (or 8?) year old TomTom? Its lived in the glovebox as a standby for three years, usurped by Google Maps, and powered up only once in that time*
Now I have built in sat nav, I have google maps (or waze), so is there a use for aged tom-toms?
*actually twice, once in Spain, but now you can download offline maps to google, it never made the flight bag again.
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I dunno, perhaps in hazardous environments where you don't want to use your phone? In the rain, walking, on a boat, motorbike etc. etc
Other than that the only way to discover a really good use for it is to throw it away. Guaranteed that the day after you bin it you'll discover something it could be really useful for.
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My TomTom unit is from circa early 2008 so coming up to 10 years old. Maps not up to date and I couldn't say it will power on.... I think it's junk dusted... its TT 720.
Had sat nav in this car and the previous two so rarely use it otherwise. When I have I've used TomTom on my mobile with a Bluetooth handsfree headset. With roaming data included I'd use Google Maps now I guess.
Did home to relatives and back this weekend. Round trip about 430 miles. I used the VW group in built sat nav but allowed it to get TomTom traffic data via WiFi hotspot on my phone. Picked up more traffic that way and it seemed accurate. Little scope to reroute for me and it would have been the same for a dedicated TomTom.
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It seems that someone managed to turn one into an mp3 player. A mono one.
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My TT720 could do that... no idea why you'd use it like that since the speaker was not great for music. It could also play music to the car radio from stored MP3 files in stereo.
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I/we still have an old TT720 ( at least I think that's what it is. Might be a 700 ) Bought it in about 2005 for what seemed like a whole lot of money. Might have been more than £500 I want to think. It has European mapping and I do sort of remember updating it online a long time ago. Looks a bit like a shrunken CRT monitor. Still use it in "her" car. S'areet actually. Works well enough.
Might also remember that it could be used as a hands free speaker for mobile phones although I've never tested that theory.
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Sun 26 Nov 17 at 21:19
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I keep a Garmin E Trex for walking and cycling. Only advantage is it uses AA batteries so provided I carry them it wont ever run out. But actually with a 15000ma charge pack I can drop into bar bag or rucksack the phone will run at peak consumption for a couple of days.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 26 Nov 17 at 21:27
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Sounds like the TT700. The 720 was a lot cheaper and not as bulky. Used it a lot from early 2008 to 2010. Then in October 2011 it wasn't really needed.
Before the TT720 I had used:
- 2004 - iPAQ with Navman GPS
- 2004-2007 - combination of the iPAQ and Nokia Symbian phones with the same Navman BT GPS receiver
-2008 - 2011 - The TT720
And since inbuilt is better. When I had the Mazda6 the sat nav option was £2500!!!! Never going to go for that. I had the iPAQ and used that for a bit... then used the TT720 with velcro on the pop up dash bin thing.
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Just googled it, you're right, it's a 700. Quite fond of really, doesn't get used much now but it still works perfectly. The spoken instructions take a bit of following though, as in "turn ye about at the great oak ye knave" sort of thing... ;-)
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I prefer my Garmin Nüvi 1490, to Google maps on my phone. I have a lifetime maps update which I bought years ago.
I do like the actual speed read out on the Garmin and the indication of going over the speed limit, with the mph figure changing to red.
In fact when using the Garmin I use it as the speedo. rather than the car's own one.
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You could sell these junk satnavs and any other junk electronics to Cex, you might get the price of a cup of coffee for them. :-)
uk.m.webuy.com
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Maybe a McDonalds coffee... not Starbucks or Costa.
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>> You could sell these junk satnavs and any other junk electronics to Cex, you might
>> get the price of a cup of coffee for them. :-)
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>> uk.m.webuy.com
>>
Here you jolly well go:
uk.webuy.com/product.php?sku=SGPSTOMST20B#.Whvmukpl-Uk
14 quid! Not bad!
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Mine is a TomTom XXL classic. For a 10 year old design they sell quite well on eBay in the 20-30 quid range
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Now there's a surprise, Zero knows best.
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I like the screen on Waze that tells you how long a journey will take at different times of the day. I haven't seen this facility on Google Maps, but then might just not have plumbed all its depths.
This is quite handy if you are flexible about when you can travel.
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If you use google maps on a web browser, you put in the date you wish to travel and the time you want to leave or arrive. If you want to arrive at a certain time it tells you when to leave, if you wish to leave at a certain time it tells you when you will arrive.
This you then use "send to your mobile phone" option for use mobile.
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Waze - smokie
