Apple's new 3D Maps in iOS 6 will ditch Google, 'blow your head off'
Apple is expected to revamp its Maps application in the next major update to its iOS mobile operating system, moving away from the Google Maps service to provide its own solution that will reportedly feature photorealistic 3D mapping technology.
Citing anonymous sources familiar with the new version of Maps, John Paczkowski of All Things D reported on Friday that the new feature is expected to be unveiled at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, which will be held June 11 through 15 in San Francisco, Calif. The new Maps are currently planned to be shown off in a keynote that will kick off the event, the report said.
"Sources describe the new Maps app as a forthcoming tent-pole feature of iOS that will, in the words of one, 'blow your head off,'" Paczkowski wrote. "I?m not quite sure what that means, and the source in question declined to elaborate, but it's likely a reference to the photorealistic 3-D mapping tech Apple acquired when it purchased C3 Technologies."
Apple's proprietary mapping solution has been a long time in the making. The company's plans were first signaled in 2009, when it purchased Placebase, a competitor to Google Maps.
Then, in 2010, Apple bought Poly9, another mapping company, and began using its own location databases for the Maps application with the launch of iOS 3.2 for the first-generation iPad. Another key acquisition came in 2011, when Apple bought C3 Technologies, a Sweden-based 3D mapping company.
In 2010, a set of Apple patent applications showed that the company was looking into using future iPhones to generate 3D models of an object or place.Another application filed last August entitled "Augmented Reality Maps" described an invention that would overlay data such as directions or street names in real time on top of live video. Apple has also filed for a "Schematic Maps" patent where a mapping application would dynamically emphasize or exaggerate details such as roads or landmarks.
Traffic could also play a key role in Apple's new Maps application for iOS 6. The company publicly announced last April that it was "collecting anonymous traffic data to build a crowd-sourced traffic database."
In a series of answers provided to U.S. Congress as part of an iOS-related location database controversy last year, Apple said its "improved traffic service" would launch in "the next couple of years." The company declined to share further details.
Citing anonymous sources familiar with the new version of Maps, John Paczkowski of All Things D reported on Friday that the new feature is expected to be unveiled at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, which will be held June 11 through 15 in San Francisco, Calif. The new Maps are currently planned to be shown off in a keynote that will kick off the event, the report said.
"Sources describe the new Maps app as a forthcoming tent-pole feature of iOS that will, in the words of one, 'blow your head off,'" Paczkowski wrote. "I?m not quite sure what that means, and the source in question declined to elaborate, but it's likely a reference to the photorealistic 3-D mapping tech Apple acquired when it purchased C3 Technologies."
Apple's proprietary mapping solution has been a long time in the making. The company's plans were first signaled in 2009, when it purchased Placebase, a competitor to Google Maps.
Then, in 2010, Apple bought Poly9, another mapping company, and began using its own location databases for the Maps application with the launch of iOS 3.2 for the first-generation iPad. Another key acquisition came in 2011, when Apple bought C3 Technologies, a Sweden-based 3D mapping company.
In 2010, a set of Apple patent applications showed that the company was looking into using future iPhones to generate 3D models of an object or place.Another application filed last August entitled "Augmented Reality Maps" described an invention that would overlay data such as directions or street names in real time on top of live video. Apple has also filed for a "Schematic Maps" patent where a mapping application would dynamically emphasize or exaggerate details such as roads or landmarks.
Traffic could also play a key role in Apple's new Maps application for iOS 6. The company publicly announced last April that it was "collecting anonymous traffic data to build a crowd-sourced traffic database."
In a series of answers provided to U.S. Congress as part of an iOS-related location database controversy last year, Apple said its "improved traffic service" would launch in "the next couple of years." The company declined to share further details.
Comments
Long. Time. Coming.
And we've KNOWN it was coming for a long time, so that makes it even worse.
Can't wait for this. I don't want to see any Google services or them credited anywhere in iOS 6 (save for Gmail and the relevant legal text for that, of course).
I have been stating that 2012 is the year for Apple Maps since the release of the new iPad. Apple appreciates synergy across devices and markets to enjoy high margins due to economies of scale.
A 3D Apple Maps solution with an amazing user experience will likely require:
Quad-Core GPU (PowerVR SGX543MP4 such as used in Apple A5X SOC)
1024 GB RAM
LTE Connectivity
Even with 90% usage of Placebase 2D data augmented by "schematic maps" 3D data from Poly9 and C3 Technologies the solution would massively tax iPhone 4S.
The only issue I see is the limited availability of C3 Technologies type maps for all major and medium-sized cities especially outside North America.
All I want is a map. Something that will load QUICKLY when I need to see where I am and where I'm going.
Another victory for the shiny-objects crowd.
It would be pretty cool if they did something with traffic (opt in, obviously), whereby your iPhone could send them information about where it is and how fast it's going.
Given how many people have iPhones, they could pretty quickly get a real world impression of traffic flow pretty much everywhere.
Now I know why Woz was tailgating me on his Segway with a helmet cam during rush hour...
>Traffic could also play a key role in Apple's new Maps application for iOS 6. The company publicly announced last April that it was "collecting anonymous traffic data to build a crowd-sourced traffic database."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Conrail
All I want is a map. Something that will load QUICKLY when I need to see where I am and where I'm going.
Another victory for the shiny-objects crowd.
You might be on the wrong website if ...
How odd. Apple are normally so forthcoming.....
I reckon it's more likely to be a software feature to sell the iPhone 5s in 2013, much like they did with Siri for 4S.
It will "blow your head off" because you can see people walking around like SimCity.
Available at your local gas station.
Looking forward to it. But I tend to hope for a hybrid app—some Google-based views, some non-Google based modes too. After all, the front-end has always been Apple’s. The back end could draw on multiple sources, in theory.
A totally Google-free app wouldn’t bother me IF it does the job well, and I know that sometimes in the tech world, a difficult transition period is unavoidable. But I’d hate to lose, for instance, the mass transit directions (a Google service) and all the Street View panos which probably cover areas C3 has not, I’d guess.
(But if I do lose those things, I’ll just use Google’s own app or site instead sometimes. My iPhone will still do what I ask of it! Continuing to use just ONE map app would be preferable though. I love the current Maps app; it's everything from help finding parking to my current go-to “telephone book” for calling businesses.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by peter02l
Available at your local gas station.
Good one ...
Blow your socks off if you happen to be at home with a good WiFi connection. If you are actually anywhere you 'need' a mapping function, you will be out of luck because of bandwidth lack, cost or unavailability. If a navigation device doesn't have the data on-board, it is about as useful as a flashlight without batteries.
Bit like the non-event iCloud has been.
Perhaps, if there is specific HW for it to work well. With Siri there is HW on the ASIC. I have not idea but it could be there is some HW able bought or designed that will help reader these graphics more effectively in terms of performance. If there isn't a performance issue my guess is that will be for all iOS 6 devices to help pull more completely from Google.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cnocbui
Blow your socks off if you happen to be at home with a good WiFi connection. If you are actually anywhere you 'need' a mapping function, you will be out of luck because of bandwidth lack, cost or unavailability. If a navigation device doesn't have the data on-board, it is about as useful as a flashlight without batteries.
Bit like the non-event iCloud has been.
Glass half empty much?
I'll never understand why conservatives frequent technology sites so much, which are really all about the new, and doing things differently.
PS - note to AppleInsider ... could you at least make the smileys work again? Your shiny new site is always half broken if you run a secure browser. It adds nothing the old one didn't already have and takes a bunch of stuff away.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulMJohnson
It would be pretty cool if they did something with traffic (opt in, obviously), whereby your iPhone could send them information about where it is and how fast it's going.
Given how many people have iPhones, they could pretty quickly get a real world impression of traffic flow pretty much everywhere.
I hope that Apple has taken a few queues from Waze about providing GPS services. Of course, I hope that Apple's solution provides turn-by-turn directions with dynamic routing with a large indicator for distance to next turn, direction of next turn (arrow); total distance total time and ETA to destination. The sensitivity and specificity of the compass needs improvement as well. The existing solution wouldn't be horrible if they simply added those features and a "birds eye view."
Hopefully, Apple provides a "check-in" feature or API.
Quote:
Originally Posted by monstrosity
I reckon it's more likely to be a software feature to sell the iPhone 5s in 2013, much like they did with Siri for 4S.
I disagree.
This kind of thing is really doomed two fail if the base functionality doesn't at least *work* on the current set of phones out there and I don't see any reason why it should. You mention Siri but that's really just another argument for my point of view. In Canada and lots of other places, Siri has become sort of a joke in that it can't really do anything but say "can I look that up on the web for you."
Siri not only requires the latest hardware, it works very poorly everywhere outside of the USA. Everyone in my circle of friends thinks Siri is almost a total fail. Which just shows that it's a really bad idea to release some whiz-bang technology if it's only going to work for some people in some places some of the time.
Maps especially, have to be a solution for everyone, even if the experience varies slightly from device to device. If this maps thing comes out and everyone in Canada fires up their devices only to be greeted with "there is currently no map of your city," it will be an epic disaster.
It's cool that the map will be 3D, but personally I think all that graphic is too distracting. I use Maps on my iPhone on a weekly basis when I drive because it helps me discover many short-cuts and small streets to avoid traffic. However when ever I use the app, I always use 'standard' view because the roads are shown clearly. For me, I would be much more interested in this new 3D map if Apple also released a turn-by-turn navigation app for driving. That way I can also ditch my other navigation apps, eg. TomTom and Sygic, because they bloat up my iPhone's memory, and frankly they suck.
I thought Google has planned to start charging a fee for the use of their map service. So, economically, it pays to stop using Google map. Of course, Apple will not go out without a big bang