Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Apple keeps working on turning Apple Maps into a more potent Google Maps alternative, but I think everybody agrees that the company must accelerate its release pace and get big updates into users' hands faster.
The detailed city experience was an exciting update, but Apple has been mostly quiet about its expansion.
However, it doesn't mean Apple Maps isn't getting more subtle refinements. The latest update went live in Norway, where Apple has enabled cycling directions.
Cycling navigation is an important part of the "new" Apple Maps experience, as the iPhone maker plans to compete against Google Maps on all fronts, not just driving. The feature provides users across Norway with turn-by-turn directions when biking, so they can mount the iPhone on their bike or get navigation on an Apple Watch while heading to a configured destination.
The new feature provides cyclists with information such as elevation, if the route includes main and side roads, and whether arriving at the destination might require walking. They can also determine if the hills are gentle before starting pedaling.
The detailed city experience is Apple's biggest Apple Maps update in history. It includes first-party maps and new capabilities, including Look Around and incident reporting.
Apple is trying to improve Apple Maps on multiple fronts, and Waze-inspired traffic reports allow users to flag hazards and feed data into a crowdsourcing engine. With users' data, Apple Maps can stay up-to-date with what happens on the road, generating warnings that are later displayed for other users whose routes include the flagged locations.
However, it's not a secret that Apple has slowed down the Apple Maps revolution, and at first glance, it does this at the worst possible time. Without a vehicle to spearhead its automotive strategy, Apple has no option but to focus on software and services to expand in the car sector, and Apple Maps and CarPlay should theoretically be its key products. However, neither Apple Maps nor CarPlay has received major updates lately, with the latter still awaiting the new generation teased and promised in 2022.
Google Maps is also getting new capabilities, and compared to Apple, the search giant seems more committed to releasing updates faster. The most recent Google Maps update concerns CarPlay users, as the application has received a speedometer on Apple's platform. The feature has, until recently, been limited to Android devices, but Google has now started to enable it for users running the app on their iPhones or CarPlay. In addition, incident reporting also landed on Google Maps on CarPlay, likely as the search giant wants to secure the leading spot on Apple's playground if the iPhone maker eventually accelerates its efforts in the mapping space. The new Google Maps features are being enabled in waves for Apple users.
However, it doesn't mean Apple Maps isn't getting more subtle refinements. The latest update went live in Norway, where Apple has enabled cycling directions.
Cycling navigation is an important part of the "new" Apple Maps experience, as the iPhone maker plans to compete against Google Maps on all fronts, not just driving. The feature provides users across Norway with turn-by-turn directions when biking, so they can mount the iPhone on their bike or get navigation on an Apple Watch while heading to a configured destination.
The new feature provides cyclists with information such as elevation, if the route includes main and side roads, and whether arriving at the destination might require walking. They can also determine if the hills are gentle before starting pedaling.
The detailed city experience is Apple's biggest Apple Maps update in history. It includes first-party maps and new capabilities, including Look Around and incident reporting.
Apple is trying to improve Apple Maps on multiple fronts, and Waze-inspired traffic reports allow users to flag hazards and feed data into a crowdsourcing engine. With users' data, Apple Maps can stay up-to-date with what happens on the road, generating warnings that are later displayed for other users whose routes include the flagged locations.
However, it's not a secret that Apple has slowed down the Apple Maps revolution, and at first glance, it does this at the worst possible time. Without a vehicle to spearhead its automotive strategy, Apple has no option but to focus on software and services to expand in the car sector, and Apple Maps and CarPlay should theoretically be its key products. However, neither Apple Maps nor CarPlay has received major updates lately, with the latter still awaiting the new generation teased and promised in 2022.
Google Maps is also getting new capabilities, and compared to Apple, the search giant seems more committed to releasing updates faster. The most recent Google Maps update concerns CarPlay users, as the application has received a speedometer on Apple's platform. The feature has, until recently, been limited to Android devices, but Google has now started to enable it for users running the app on their iPhones or CarPlay. In addition, incident reporting also landed on Google Maps on CarPlay, likely as the search giant wants to secure the leading spot on Apple's playground if the iPhone maker eventually accelerates its efforts in the mapping space. The new Google Maps features are being enabled in waves for Apple users.
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