Quick Route Review

Many iPhone users have had qualms about the new Apple Maps in iOS 6. Apple has even made a statement acknowledging its flaws and has even suggested that users look for suitable alternatives while the folks in Cupertino work out the bugs. Quick Route is one of many navigation apps out there aiming to become an Apple Maps substitute.

I personally haven’t had any issues with the new Apple Maps. I’ve been using Apple’s map service since the first beta of iOS 6 and it has gotten me everywhere I’ve need to go in a couple of different cities, including New York. However, Quick Route does have some really nice features that aren’t included in Apple Maps. For instance, Quick Route includes turn-by-turn directions for drivers, pedestrians, bikers and those who take mass transit. I’m sure many users will love this feature since all these options are missing from Apple’s map service. Quick Route also features locations of businesses and points of interest based on Google Places. Since Google has been in the maps game for many years, their location services can be a lot more dependable and accurate.

Quick Route’s interface is a split-screen display that allows users to input two different locations. This is useful for setting the desired starting and ending locations when looking for directions. The top pane is used as the starting location and the bottom pane is for the ending location. I found this type of interface to be a little clunky and I think I still prefer the single-pane interface that we’re all used to. This is just my preference and I’m willing to bet others will find Quick Route’s interface to be easy and helpful.

While it’s possible that Quick Route can have more accurate search results since it's powered by Google Places, it still lacks the spoken turn-by-turn navigation that Apple Maps offers. This is a feature that I personally cannot abandon. But for anyone that is having issues with getting where they need to with Apple Maps, Quick Route still offers turn-by-turn directions that will update as the user’s location changes.

Even though I haven’t experienced the same frustration with Apple Maps as others, I would still recommend Quick Route to those who have had frustrations. For just $2.99, Quick Route offers a lot of nice features for a fraction of the price of a lot of other navigations apps.