Don't waste your time trying different map services.
Everything else is super easy to switch to better alternatives, especially search, e-mail and browser.
Apple Maps does driving directions way better in general - better visuals, speech etc. It does foreign pronunciations better too IIRC. It's even not bad as a PWA on Android ( https://maps.apple.com ).
Google Maps loves to say take eg "exit Via Emilio Enrico" on some random roundabout in some random Italian town, seemingly with no idea that there are big signs to eg "VERONA". The street name is often totally useless.
I also find Google Maps does a great job at directing me into traffic. Like, not unexpected traffic at all.
Google Maps is great at giving you terrible recommendations because of the heavily, heavily filtered/gamed reviews however. Nothing more untrustworthy than a 4.7 star review on Google.
And of course there is also Mapy, HERE, TomTom etc...
I wanted to like Apple Maps, but when you are traveling and actually need maps to find your way around, it's unusable. For example visiting some of the top cities in the world, and Apple Maps doesn't have public transport info. Or outdated business information.
HERE maps are unusable on mobile because of whacky two-finger zoom and pan algorithms which seem to be taken from a different decade.
Citymapper is excellent for public transport.
Google Maps relies on business owners updating details too, often outdated and incorrect. They also doesn't publish a lot of helpful negative reviews
Yes basically you need more than one app for the different things but I prefer that to one single and frankly mediocre app
Negatives of Google Maps:
- Awful graphical interface
- Bad performance
- Ads
- Offline maps could be better implemented
Features where other apps fail, but Google Map works well:
- Unable to zoom or pan map because of janky response. This core feature needs to be right, or the app is unusable.
- No public transport integration. Makes the app unusable if you're on vacation in a different country without your vehicle. Apple Maps fails hard on this. Which is when you are most in need of good maps.
- No routing or bad routing, or routing only for cars and not for bicycles or public transport. Deal breaker for everyday use. Organic Maps has awful routing.
- No business information or outdated business information. For example, Apple Maps will ignore or reject updates which you as a business send to them, using the Apple Business account.
- No or few or outdated photos for businesses. Reviews aren't that reliable, as you mention. But photos will tell you many times what you want to know.
I've actually found great success in migrating to nothing from YouTube. Specifically I've found nothing to have a much less insidious algorithm, no shorts, no comment section, no upvotes or downvotes, no creepy Mr beast thumbnails, it's quite refreshing. If you still want cideos that are exclusively on YT, you can simply skip the website and access them via other means.
As for the algorithm, it is actually great if you take care to nudge it with subscriptions, likes and dislikes.
It's almost unavoidable to encounter videos that are only hosted on YT, but if I can't watch them without accessing any YT interface, I just don't watch them, I've just decided it's not worth it. I also haven't done anything specific to restrict the website, I've just mentally banned it as a simple rule to follow. It's an insidious service imo that uses casino tactics to steal my time and attention. What I occasionally want is videos, but their entire service beyond that provides only negative value to me.
I don't feel like I've missed much.
For insta, I've always just used their website, which is so terrible, and the content so inconsequential, that it's not a big deal anymore in terms of stealing my attention.
