The three things I like about IOS 6 vs IOS 5 maps are the Turn-By-Turn Voice Nav, Vector (Fast/Rotatable/Quick to download), and, most important for me on long road trips - OffLine access to the Map Data. Here's hoping google offers all three on their IOS App.
Without Siri integration, it loses the real appeal of Apple's voice navigation system. Being able to say things like "I need gas", or "take me home" without taking attention away from the road are what really sell the voice navigation on the device, in my opinion.
I realize Google has been adding their own voice recognition to their apps, but there is no easy way to activate it without having to look at the screen; a no-go while driving.
I have, and was quite impressed with the results, but without the integration found no practical purpose. The point of Siri, to me, is to not have to touch your phone at all. Something Google is unable to deliver on Apple hardware, unfortunately.
As an aside, I tried using the voice search in the YouTube app today and it wasn't working at all.
> Google is awesome at software. Apple is awesome at hardware
I think it would be better said that Apple is awesome at software, Google is awesome at data. Apple hardware, while nice, is nothing to phone home about on its own. I'm not sure an iPhone loaded with Android would really sell all that well.
I had an iPhone 4S for a few weeks last year and tried the Mapquest app. I found that it was terrible when driving down a freeway. Every time I crossed an overpass, it would assume that I was on the cross street, and recalculate. Then it'd wise up to me being on the freeway again, and recalculate once more. Repeat a mile or two down the road at the next overpass.
I would have figured they'd have implemented some heuristic that considered the likelihood of me traveling 70mph in one direction only to immediately turn onto a cross street. But at the time, that seemed to not be the case.
I guess we will (might?) find out soon enough.