We’ve seen some moves recently from Apple aimed at filling competitive gaps versus Google. Leading the list is local ratings on AppleMaps, which the company is adding to the upcoming iOS 14.
We learned from our friends at GatherUp (and from 9to5 Mac), AppleMaps has added the ability to leave a rating on certain POIs via a simple thumbs up/thumbs down interface. This is a departure for Apple, which has traditionally relied on partners like Yelp, Foursquare, and Trip Advisor for ratings and review content.
As the GatherUp post points out, these data sources don’t offer the degree of global coverage Apple requires. And in general, the company would prefer to have more control over its destiny.
Rate by Category, Add a Photo
The new OS (beta) allows users to rate the business with a thumbs up or down. And it allows users to recommend a business (or not), with drill-downs on products and services, which provides a bit of granularity.
This reminds us of Google’s recent successful effort to generate fewer ratings-only reviews with its new attributes-based system. Apple’s binary thumbs up/thumbs down interface may produce a clearer picture for consumers than Google’s star system, which produces ratings that cluster in the mushy 4-star range. This didn’t offer the differentiation between businesses consumers need to make a choice. For example, attributes-based reviews allowed users to rate by category-specific factors like timeliness, cleanliness, professionalism, etc. This made results richer without requiring written reviews.
GatherUp’s post quotes our friend David Mihm offering this assessment of Apple Maps’ approach to ratings.
“Apple unsurprisingly understands how to get the best aggregate data from the widest range of users — asking for simple thumbs-up/thumbs-down ratings, and then asking follow-ups about specific features of the experience. It’s about as far from the Yelp model biased towards elite reviewers and long-form reviews as possible.”
Other Notable Moves from Apple
Some other recent developments suggest Apple wants to make its mapping product more useful and competitive with Google. For example, AppleMaps recently added turn by turn directions in the United Arab Emirates. Granted, this may not sound like a bold move. However, it’s absence has held Apple back form competing in that important region.
And finally, we read that Apple is considering launching its own search engine to compete with Google. Just as it has relied on data partners for reviews, Apple has also relied on Google for search. So the same motivation applies — controlling its destiny. However, competing with Google on search is not as easy as launching a competing product. Even a good one. Just ask Microsoft. However, with 100 million iPhones in circulation in the US alone, Apple has distribution rivaled only by, well, Google.
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