Man compares the updated Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Waze on Apple CarPlay and says there’s a clear winner so stop using the wrong one
Published on Apr 24, 2026 at 12:17 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Apr 24, 2026 at 12:17 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Settling the Google Maps versus Waze versus Apple Maps debate would probably require a UN resolution, but a lot of people are reaching verdicts of their own.
The key game changer here is the new set of updates that involved all three apps.
In general, all three apps looked dramatically different just a year ago.
But there’s a clear winner that’s emerging.
How AI is updating maps
AI is the buzzword of the year, and probably the decade, and it’s permeating everything.
From Google Search to Instagram captions, it seems everyone is using AI for everything.
One of the ways AI is being used is to improve navigation apps.
Specifically, tech companies are integrating AI into these apps to ‘humanize’ them.
In principle, that isn’t a bad idea.
No one says ‘turn left at the third exit’ because people say ‘turn left after Starbucks’ or something along those lines.
This brings us to the verdict that YouTuber HotshotTek has reached.
There’s a clear winner, and here’s why
All three apps – Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze – have been updated recently, and all three look different now.
Apple Maps has a few advantages over the other two.
It automatically marks your car’s location on the map the moment you disconnect from CarPlay, it supports natural gestures – you can pinch to zoom, for example – and uses stop signs and traffic lights as verbal cues in the same way a person would.
Waze is a community-based app that relies on live reports from other people on the road, which is something that Google and Apple also have, but the Waze community is a lot more active, which is why information is more accurate.
But, in this YouTuber’s opinion, Google Maps is the winner.
All three apps have been overhauled recently, but Google Maps’ update was massive.
There are new 3D landmarks, highly detailed lane guidance, live gas prices, and so on.
So it seems that, for once, AI is being used for something other than writing social media captions.
After beginning his automotive writing career at DriveTribe, Alessandro has been with Supercar Blondie since the launch of the website in 2022. In fact, he penned the very first article published on supercarblondie.com. He’s covered subjects from cars to aircraft, watches, and luxury yachts - and even crypto. He can largely be found heading up the site’s new-supercar and SBX coverage and being the first to bring our readers the news that they’re hungry for.
