Apple is no longer using Google for their maps in the new iOS and apparently the new Apple maps feature is shit for Taiwan. If you use the maps feature in previous iOS for utilizing mass transit, you might lose that ability in the new update. This could be quite problematic for tourists and expats living in Taiwan as this is a crucial tool when lost in a foreign country. I quite frequently use the transit feature to find bus routes across town.
More information here: http://theunderstatement.com/post/31855177665/quantifying-the-impending-ios-6-maps-backlash
If you are heavily dependent on the maps feature in iOS, it might be a good idea to wait until they add more local features for Taiwan.
Good post - thanks for the warning. Google Maps is still accessible through mobile Safari, no? A much less usable experience but it should get people through a pinch if they decide to move onto iOS6.
Updated to iOS6. Haven’t used it much yet, but so far the accuracy of the maps looks OK: it’s actually got an alley and its connections near me correctly marked, which Google never has done properly. It also seems faster than the earlier Google maps, which had become painfully slow on my iPhone 3GS.
But a giant problem: no Chinese characters, and the pinyin is appalling: J-h-o-n-g-j-h-e-n-g Road, S-i-n-m-i-n Street, S-y-u-e-f-u Road (for 學府). I gather I can change my whole iPhone to Chinese if I want to solve this, but I don’t think there’s any way to get both. Oddly, all landmarks are labelled in Chinese only. MRT exits seem fairly clear, but bus stops have disappeared.
Note that I’ve never used the transit or search options within the old Maps app, so I can’t comment on those.
[quote=“lostinasia”]Updated to iOS6. Haven’t used it much yet, but so far the accuracy of the maps looks OK: it’s actually got an alley and its connections near me correctly marked, which Google never has done properly. It also seems faster than the earlier Google maps, which had become painfully slow on my iPhone 3GS.
But a giant problem: no Chinese characters, and the pinyin is appalling: J-h-o-n-g-j-h-e-n-g Road, S-i-n-m-i-n Street, S-y-u-e-f-u Road (for 學府). I gather I can change my whole iPhone to Chinese if I want to solve this, but I don’t think there’s any way to get both. Oddly, all landmarks are labelled in Chinese only. MRT exits seem fairly clear, but bus stops have disappeared.
Note that I’ve never used the transit or search options within the old Maps app, so I can’t comment on those.[/quote]
Go into Maps in Settings. You can select whether or not you want the labels to always be in English. I turned it off and the map is now completely in Chinese.
Thanks! I’d prefer bilingual, but Chinese is definitely better than pinyin-only, and far better than whatever godawful pinyin system they’re using.