Waze 4.0: Pros & Cons

Google Releases Waze Version 4.0 for iOS. Waze is one of the most used traffic and navigation app for iPhones, Android or Windows Phones. This is the first update of waze.  Waze uses data from app users to provide quicker navigation routes. It submits data is both automatically as users drive around and can also be entered manually on the app.

Pros of Waze:           

1.       Waze’s strongest feature is its community user-base. The app constantly collects information. It can adapt quickly to ensure the fastest route possible. Users are able to level up and get different characters based on their interaction with game like app.

2.       Waze lets users to add their friends so that groups of friends can keep track of each other on a trip, or facilitate chance encounters if a friend appears in a Waze user’s vicinity. The app allows users to connect to Facebook and Google Calendar to easily find event addresses and create directions.

3.       Waze can be used to find community recommended restaurants along the route as well as navigate to the station with the lowest gas prices. In addition, the app learns from users and can calculate the perfect route for leaving work at specific times each day.

Cons of Waze:

1.       In waze the layout of the maps is unattractive. In an area with little activity or users, the app loses its community advantage over Google Maps. But, in areas with a large community, the number of icons on the screen can be overwhelming. Waze displays maps with other users, hazards, traffics jams, police traps, accidents, and much more. A tiny mobile screen can quickly become filled and make it difficult for users to find their routes.

2.       Waze can be distracting. Friends appear, accumulating points ding, ads pop, routes are re-routed, and drive-by incidents beg to be reported. Laws against distracted driving should encourage users to put their phones down when driving, but we all know how difficult it is to ignore a beeping phone.

3.       Police offices across the country have begun to take issue with Waze’s police reporting feature. Police argue that alerting other drivers to police traps and police presence are making targets of police officers. Waze disagrees, arguing that the police reporting feature of the app increases driver safety because users drive more carefully when in the presence of police.

4.       App is still reporting data to Waze even when it’s not navigating. This means that Waze’s battery drain while the app is running in the background is MUCH higher than Google Maps’. For Waze users, having a car charger is essential.