Where did you hear that? I fear there may be an amount of misinformation being spread.
Check here
under ‘Why CoMaps’ for the concerns set out by some former OM developers that led to them setting up the CoMaps project.
We each believe what we choose to, but it’s why I switched from using OM to CM and why I would not be happy with OM being used by /e/os but I would be very happy with CoMaps.
@manoj CoMaps has indicated that it would be happy to answer any questions you may have. #114 - /e/os navigation app replacement - comaps/Governance - Codeberg.org
Thanks. Have passed on the message to the team.
There is a lot of discussion going on in the team as to what would be the ideal map app for the /e/OS user. Let me share the example of Google Maps . There a user does not need to download country or state maps before being able to jump on to finding a location. With all the work being done on the app servers or all the information already available it makes the task of the user extremely easy. Another factor would be a simple easy to navigate UI. It would be great to get an open source map app with these features.
It seems IodéOS just switched to CoMaps (previously Magic Earth also), according to their website.
VollaOS still uses OsmAnd.
LineageOS does not come with a default navigation app.
Ubuntu Touch does neither come with a pre-installed GPS navigation app by default, but there are two available on their OpenStore: PureMaps and Unav. Both of them are not compatible with Android though (Ubuntu Touch is a Gnu/Linux smartphone OS)
But I really don’t know which between CoMaps and OsmAnd is better…
I don’t think you should replace Magic Earth because of the 1$/yr fee. Hook up /e/OS users that need that type of Maps app (car navigation, travelling) with the payment option?
these are the reasons you should ship OrganicMaps/CoMaps as default Maps App:
I much prefer the comfort of knowing that the maps are on my phone and that I’m not dependent on internet access for their use. This can be a issue, particularly in some rural areas. I’ve been using /e/os for nearly 5 years and can’t recall in that time having seen any concerns on the forum about having to download maps to use Magic Earth.
I like Magic Earth and would be happy to see it retained if that were possible. As a simple navigation app it’s both accurate and easy to use. I find other apps like CoMaps and OSMAnd better overall map apps, with clearer and greater detail on the maps when it comes to the display of significant buildings, visitor attractions, etc.
OSMAnd has a large number of settings allowing customisation, but that can make it less simple for users. CoMaps has fewer settings, is simpler, and in my view has clearer, better looking maps. OSMAnd map updates are 1/month, CoMaps 2/month. Magic Earth seems to update maps only once every 3 months recently.
CoMaps is the clone (fork) of Organic Maps. What’s wrong with Organic Maps? Are they selling your data or what? The “original” navigation app is Organic Maps.
At the moment I will stick to the Magic Earth. Compared to Foss navigation apps, it rolls much smoother in freeride mode. Foss apps jump from a coordinate to another which is pretty annoying espexially when you have zoomed the map quite heavily.
For me it is important to get live traffic. Also I appreciate the precise verbal description of magic earth: I don’t need to look at the phone while I’m driving.
The third point I appreciate is the origin of the map data from Open Street Map. It makes it possible for me to correct map errors.
Traffic data is key!
Not only for live traffic and avoiding jam but also for closed streets, bridges, etc. The ability to create manual obstacles as well is a great plus, too! Been using it lately regularly for city bike navigation and really not want to miss that!
Daily driver of CoMaps for the last 6 months, including using it (a lot!) for directions with my bike (in Barcelona), and for car driving, via Android Auto: for me, so far, a great experience, and I’m not considering going back to Google Maps anytime.
That said, the 4 main issues today with CoMaps (or OrganicMaps, for that matter):
But again, none of these points are deal breakers for me, and I happily use the app on a daily basis.
(I’ve also started to contribute bits of code, and the CoMaps community is super welcoming and friendly!)
Moltes gràcies por el aporte.
Visca catalunya!
I must add that, in addition to impose a fee now, Magic Earth feels less and less usable to me. They combine OSM data with third party data in an opaque way (supposedly to improve search for businesses). In practice it causes many double entries and adds old restaurants or shops to the maps, though these places are closed for years. For sure Magic Earth is still great for its traffic data, but not anymore to search for points of interest. Go CoMaps!!
I’ve been using Organic Maps and now the fork called CoMaps for about 2 years altogether. It’s not perfect from a UX standpoint, but it’s the de facto private map app. If you care about privacy you use CoMaps.
For context I’ve only been an /e/os user for about a year now.
I am probably in the severe minority here, but I have been using Waze, and while not privacy friendly, it does work very well on e os.
I am a long time /e/OS and CoMaps (previously Organic Maps) user and if you want them to evolve and expand their features, then please buy Murena phones, subscriptions or donate. These projects need money to exist and a constant flow of income to implement longterm improvements. I am not related to any of the two projects, just a software developer who understands the efforts behind such projects.
CoMaps is great, send them some coins, best are regular donations so they can plan ahead:
Waze is Google-dependent (according to the Plexus assessment given in Aurora Store), so /e/OS can’t guarantee it working very well continuously and will not adopt it as the default maps App.
Waze = Google
In June 2013, Waze was acquired by Google for $1.3 billion. Waze’s then-100 employees received about $1.2 million on average: the largest payout to employees in Israeli high tech. As part of the acquisition, the Waze development team continued to operate in Israel as a separate entity from Google.