Waze gets an update, but no 3D Touch or Apple Watch love
One of the most frustrating, and sometimes even dangerous, aspects of driving is not knowing what the road conditions are like ahead of you. You can find yourself delayed for minutes or even hours, and can sometimes end up involved in an accident yourself because of the unknown. That’s where Waze comes in, a community-based traffic and navigation app. Not only can you get directions in Waze, but you can also get updates about speed traps, construction, and accidents in real-time. Waze has recently been updated to make the app even easier to use and to help others on the road. Even with its updates, though, there’s still something missing from the app.
It’s a whole new Waze
The map has been completely redesigned to feature a cleaner look, catered to your drive. It’s easier to read, and it includes a new ETA panel with everything you need in one place. You can view reports, check alternate routes, add a stop along the way, or instantly send your estimated time of arrival to your friends and family.
Revamped social driving buttons
The idea behind a social driving experience is that you are able to easily alert other drivers to potential hazards and problems along the road. With the latest update to Waze, the reporting screen is faster and more visual, making it even easier to let people know about that police trap, obstacle on the road, or accident. Reports and alerts are now color-coded, so you can instantly recognize them on the map.
There’s more, but what’s missing is more important
That’s not all that’s changed in Waze. Other updates to the app include:
- Significantly reduced battery consumption.
- Fewer taps to start a drive, send locations and directions.
- Smart reminders to leave on time for your Calendar events based on traffic conditions and drive times.
What we aren’t seeing in this update, though, might be more telling. There’s no 3D Touch support, and no support for an Apple Watch driving experience. Personally, I’d give Waze quite a bit more credit if I could make reports of problems from my wrist instead of having to pick up my iPhone to do it. Given Garmin’s recent release of Navigon updates with Apple Watch and 3D Touch support, the omission is surprising and perplexing.
Waze is a free download on the App Store, without ads or in-app purchases, and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. It requires iOS 7.0 or later.
See the new Waze in action in the video below. Just click here if it doesn’t load.
