Waze or Google Maps

You check the condition of the tires, fill up the gas tank , you put everything in the suitcase and you get behind the wheel. Before starting the march you decide to receive the assistance of a GPS navigator to reach your destination in the fastest, most comfortable and safest way possible. which do you use? Google Maps, which has been providing information on destinations, routes and even establishments for years”¦ Or Waze , which also has its story reporting problems on the road.These are two very complete applications, but they have some differences regarding their use such as GPS navigator Here we explain it in detail so that you can choose your best option .

A little history

Google Maps began its journey in February 2005, focusing on digital cartography and representing the world, streets and highways on maps. The logical and constant evolution of this application has led it to integrate all kinds of information about establishments, from where to find them to seeing images of their services and products or the opening hours. Along with this, it also introduced its own GPS navigator. And, if it already has maps and streets, why not guide the user through all of them ? After several years in a test version, it is already able to guide the user to any destination, and even avoid traffic jams, although it has other interesting additions that we detail below.

For its part, Waze began in 2008, albeit under a different name. Of Israeli origin, it managed to expand to the whole world and become a benchmark in 2012. Its philosophy is totally open, and it is an application collaborative In fact, its maps and all road and street updates are usually carried out by collaborations of passionate users for cartography and with the sole purpose of serving help to app users Something that is not only reflected from outside the application, but also in its interior, where users generate alerts for the good of the community That is, they can reflect an accidenton the road at a specific point so that the other users of the application know it before reaching that point and can drive with caution.Following the global success achieved, Google decides to acquire it in June 2013 An acquisition with which has helped its own application Google Maps by receiving traffic information data and possible alerts. Of course, this does not mean that Google Maps perform all the functions of Waze That's the question why it is worth knowing what these two applications do

Always arrive at your destination

Google Maps and Waze coincide in their functionality once the user is on the road. Both have voice prompts for each of the steps to take. In addition, they are completely up-to-date, although in this respect Waze may have the latest changes in roads due to its philosophy collaborative and openIn any case, both applications are capable of guide the user through roads with several lanes, indicating which one to locate before changing lanes, or the exit that you have to take the next roundabout and, of course, how high up the street the destination is.

That is to say, they are two applications functional and very useful that serve more than enough. However, it is its extras that make the difference.

The devil is in the details

If we look at the visual aspect, we find ourselves with two radically different applications. On the one hand we come across Google Maps, which due to all the amount of information it contains has had to organize its visual appearance so that no one gets lost. However, understanding that your browser GPS is one more section can be somewhat confusingAnd it is that the user has to first search for the destination to calculate the route and then go to navigation modeIn this, which has a different design than the map menu, it is possible to follow the directions. Something that can be a bit confusing.

Example of route in Google Maps

In contrast, Waze is created for the community and exclusively for drivers. That is why all you have to do is carry out the destination search to see the different available routes and choose which one you want to be guided by. In addition, its menus allow quick access to alert about any incident or to carry out new searches such as that of a gas station en route. All this with a couple of clicks. Of course, as stated by traffic laws, you can only manipulate your mobile inside the vehicle when it is correctly parked and never in motion.

Security before everything

A few months after the purchase of Waze, the application Google Maps began to improve some of its extra services Something that was noted with data such as traffic density and accidents. Google has always taken advantage of the information from the terminals to which it has access to improve its services, which is why it is able to know if a road has heavy and slow traffic, so it shows it in red color on your maps. However, it only had official sources of information to find out if there was a road closure or an accident on the road. Something that prevented informing users in real time Little by little this has been changing, although without extending its parameters too much beyond specific warnings. Of course, it has information about fixed speed cameras and limited speeds on all kinds of roads, something that notifies the user at all times.

However, Waze is quite a bit more advanced in this respect. It has detailed information on the maximum speed of all roads, but it has other extras that make it remarkable. For example, a user who comes across a police post at a specific point on a road can leave it marked for other users. If others also reflect this alert in the same section, it is finally reflected in the application for all users, receiving the notification during the march before reaching the point of the control or radar. This extends to other types of incidents such as accidents, works, and other situations of risk Information that due to its temporary brevity or the lack of an official channel is not reflected in Google Maps, but users do share it in Waze

Without distracting you from driving

Since a few weeks ago, Google Maps has begun to include its voice control in the mobile version Android In this way, and without taking your eyes off the road, it is possible to say out loud:OK, Google, and add some command such as “show me nearby gas stations” or“mute directions”, or even “directions to street (street name)”. So it is not necessary to let go of the steering wheel or lose attention to what is really important. Of course, is not an entirely comfortable tool and it is likely that it will force the user to stop if they want to redirect the route to a new destination or add new stops to the journey.

For its part, Waze does not have hands-free tools.It only allows voice searches by clicking on the microphone icon in the search section Something that does imply attention and using at least one hand to reach said icon It is, therefore, a tool to program before starting the march.

A Few Extras to Keep in Mind

Google Maps is much more than a tool for streets and maps. As we have already mentioned, it stands out for all the amount of extra information it offers. Allows you to search for gas stations, restaurants, entertainment venues or even show real photographs of specific points on a streetElements that not only make it an ideal tool for trips, but also for all kinds of queries when it comes to finding a place to rest or drink something. All this with options to see the traffic density, different layers of terrain vision (satellite, relief, traffic”¦) and, of course, offline serviceIn other words, it allows to download a portion of the map before starting the march and to continue indicating where to go even when you don't have an Internet connection. A key point on trips abroad or when traveling to places far from civilization.

For its part, Waze has opted more for the aspect socialElements such as being able to share a route with other users to know if they can be picked up at some point or for them to know the estimated time of arrival is key today. Of course, it does not have functionality without an Internet connection. However, it does offer searches for gas stations and the ability to link to the calendar to guide the user to all scheduled appointments

Conclusions

Google Maps is an almost mandatory application for any type of travelAnd, if it is not used to get to a destination, it may be used to find a place where Have a drink or rest. In addition, it is the safest option thanks to its offline possibilities It has up-to-date information but only with official alerts about accidents or retentions

Waze is really convenient to use It is simple thanks to its design and is the best option when it comes to being aware of the position of mobile radars, accidents and any type of problem on the road Of course, you need internet connection constantly. It allows you to search for gas stations and different types of basic establishments, although without much more information except the price of fuel.An option that can be very useful for users with regular daily journeys to avoid problems