Apple Maps will be redesigned to compete with Google, reveals executive

Apple Maps will be redesigned to compete with Google, reveals executive

Even after some improvements over the years, the native iPhone Maps app and other Apple products are far from being among the best in their category. The manufacturer itself acknowledges the situation: in an interview with the website TechCrunch, vice president of software and services Eddie Cue said the company is working on a complete redesign of the platform. Changes may come in iOS 12 Beta, a test edition that is available to users.

The service depends on data provided by OpenStreetMap and TomTom, among other companies specialized in maps. User complaints about locations with outdated or inaccurate information are common. «We are working to create what we hope will be the best map application in the world,» said the vice president.

1 of 2 apple-maps-home1 – Photo: Marvin Costa / dnetc

apple-maps-home1 – Photo: Marvin Costa / dnetc

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The idea is to follow in the footsteps of its main competitor, Google Maps, creating its own and solid database, which is updated more quickly. “We decided to do this just over four years ago. We realized that, considering what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go, we needed to do it alone ”, added Cue.

One of the novelties will be the advantage of updating and correcting data in real time in the new mapping system. The map infrastructure will allow Apple to add works and changes to routes faster, which is not the case in the current app. For the monitoring of streets and highways, the new version should use data collected by company vans during the past few years.

2 of 2 Prioritizing privacy, Apple is using its own vans for data collection – Photo: Disclosure / TechCrunch

Prioritizing privacy, Apple is using its own vans to collect data – Photo: Disclosure / TechCrunch

According to TechCrunch, the special vehicle is equipped, among other things, with a Mac Pro, an iPad and high-resolution cameras. The promise is that the system can identify green areas, pedestrian paths, buildings and the flow of personal cars – through the collection of vector data. Through software, Apple’s data center will eliminate private information from images, such as faces and license plates, just like rival Google Maps.

In terms of layout, major changes will not be seen, at least at this early stage. «You won’t see any major design changes on the maps. We don’t want to combine these two things at the same time, because that would cause a lot of confusion,» said Cue.

Initially presenting only a few points in California, where vans have been operating since 2015, the changes will soon be available in the beta version of iOS 12.

With information: TechCrunch and 9to5mac

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Little-known Google Maps functions

Little-known Google Maps functions