Apple is rebuilding Apple Maps to better reflect the world around us. These new Maps are based on Apple data and feature enhanced geographic context, building outlines, and road network coverage. Currently available in Northern California, they will soon be coming to the rest of the U.S., including your favorite cities. For more information, check out Apple's blog post. In the meantime, download the new Maps to experience them for yourself!
History
The company has spent years and billions of dollars on building and maintaining its mapping data, but still can only publish a portion of the US. Despite the enormous amount of effort, it has yet to achieve the high quality maps that users want. The process of creating high-quality maps is complex and challenging. Here's a brief history of Apple maps. Its journey begins in 2009.
Apple Maps was the first map application to use vector graphics, long before competitor Google Maps did. While Google Maps uses three layers, Apple's map has four. The company relies on data from several suppliers, including TomTom, Automotive Navigation Data, Getchee, and Hexagon AB. It also partners with Intermap Technologies, which is the lead dog in the development of the Apple Maps project. However, despite the success of Apple Maps, the company has recently fired Richard Williamson.
Features
The latest iOS version of Apple Maps comes with a number of features that help you navigate your way around the city. The Flyover feature allows you to view the landscape from a higher perspective than you would normally get. You can also explore the indoors with the Look Around feature, similar to Street View on Google Maps. However, it doesn't quite compare to the accuracy of Google Maps' mapping. The lookaround feature doesn't work very well indoors, which is a pity since the accuracy is not as good as Google's.
Another useful feature of Apple Maps is crowdsourced incident reporting. You can already report road hazards on Waze and Google Maps, but you can now do the same on Apple Maps too. The beta version of iOS 14.5 has an integrated road hazard report feature, which lets you report incidents to others on the map. In addition, Siri and CarPlay integration are included with this update. While this may seem like a small change, it will definitely be a big step forward for the navigation app.
Alternatives
Apple Maps are currently not available on three different iOS devices. While an Apple representative has declined to comment, the company's system status page reveals that all users are affected and that the system has been down since 5:48 a.m. PT. The app is not available for Apple Watch or CarPlay, though. Luckily, there are some great alternatives. These include Google Maps and Waze. If Apple Maps aren't working on your device, consider using Google Maps.
Google Maps and Apple Maps both have advantages and disadvantages. While both are free and open source applications, Apple Maps is more limited than Google Maps in terms of features. Other alternatives include Google Maps, Organic Maps, Waze, and OsmAnd. Since Apple Maps is primarily a map service, these apps will offer similar functionality. These apps may also offer GPS navigation or travel planner features. But which one is right for you? Read on to find out what we recommend.