Apple's iOS 8 beta 5 pulls business info from Maps into Phone app's Recents list

Posted:
in iPhone edited November 2014
A new feature discovered in Apple's latest iOS 8 beta release automatically populates the Phone app's Recents list with information about points of interest when dialing out from Maps, applying correct name, addresses and even Yelp data to recent-dialed numbers.


From left: Spotlight search results, Maps infobox and Phone's Recents list.


Rolled out as part of the latest iOS 8 beta 5, and subsequently spotted by AppleInsider reader Mohammed, the contact data transfer feature appears to be limited to calls originating from the Maps app. Since Maps search results are available through iOS 8's Spotlight search, however, the function is accessible from anywhere in iOS.

As seen in the image set above, we were able to find a nearby restaurant called Rattle 'N' Hum in New York using Maps' Hybrid view, search text box and Spotlight in Safari. Clicking on the provided number automatically transported the bar's information to our iPhone's Recents list, including Yelp score, webpage and physical address with map.

The functionality is especially helpful for users who rely on their iPhone to discover nearby dining and entertainment, or travelers unfamiliar with the surrounding neighborhood.

For example, as with Rattle 'N' Hum, a user can find a place to eat in Maps, call to make reservations, then visit the Recents section to get directions when it's time to go. Further, the restaurant's information is now stored on-site, ready for redialing or saving to Contacts.

As noted above, the feature appears to be limited to Maps, as testing with Siri and Safari yielded negative results. Interestingly, while conducting a Spotlight search in Safari returned Maps results, extensibility stops short of pairing phone numbers -- URL-based or discovered via iOS data detectors -- with the mapping app's POI database.

Apple will launch iOS 8 this fall alongside the next-generation "iPhone 6," which is expected to come in 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch flavors. According to the most recent rumors, Apple's upcoming handset lineup will include a 2.0GHz A8 processor, 802.11ac Wi-Fi and possibly NFC functionality.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 38
    asdasdasdasd Posts: 5,686member
    That's a good addition but why not keep it in maps too?
  • Reply 2 of 38
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    asdasd wrote: »
    That's a good addition but why not keep it in maps too?

    Great idea. The Maps app has so much potential.
  • Reply 3 of 38
    This isn't new. At least not in beta 5. Works well if you called a bunch of restaurants and then couldn't rememberer the right number on the call list.
  • Reply 4 of 38
    ninma002 wrote: »
    This isn't new. At least not in beta 5. Works well if you called a bunch of restaurants and then couldn't rememberer the right number on the call list.
    They probably just got around to experimenting it.
  • Reply 5 of 38
    john.bjohn.b Posts: 2,742member

    Doesn't matter unless the POI data is both accurate and complete.  The fact that this still references Yelp data isn't exactly encouraging.

  • Reply 6 of 38
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,033member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by ninma002 View Post



    This isn't new. At least not in beta 5. Works well if you called a bunch of restaurants and then couldn't rememberer the right number on the call list.

    Slow news day.

     

    They (AppleInsider) had nothing else to post. The Wall Street Journal doesn't need to post anything about Apple on a given day. This site is expected to come up with something. And this is what we get.

     

    Isn't blogging great?

  • Reply 7 of 38
    aaronjaaronj Posts: 1,595member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mpantone View Post

     

    Slow news day.

     

    They (AppleInsider) had nothing else to post. The Wall Street Journal doesn't need to post anything about Apple on a given day. This site is expected to come up with something. And this is what we get.

     

    Isn't blogging great?


     

    Oh, look how cool you are.

     

    Sheesh.

  • Reply 8 of 38
    mpantone wrote: »
    Slow news day.

    They (AppleInsider) had nothing else to post. The Wall Street Journal doesn't need to post anything about Apple on a given day. This site is expected to come up with something. And this is what we get.

    Isn't blogging great?

    Actually this is quite significant to me, being the person who reported it, just a few phone calls to restaurants/hotels and your phone log is full of strange numbers, I don't like to save these establishments in my phone book so having them labelled on my phone is a great way to know who's calling and incase you need to call back.

    Also, you don't need to initiate using maps app as I didn't use it when I reported it.
  • Reply 9 of 38
    tenlytenly Posts: 710member
    john.b wrote: »
    Doesn't matter unless the POI data is both accurate and complete.  The fact that this still references Yelp data isn't exactly encouraging.

    It matters to me as long as the information is accurate. Completeness is a nice-to-have, but the feature still "matters" without it.
  • Reply 10 of 38
    timmydaxtimmydax Posts: 284member
    I would love to see listed companies searched for and listed in the phone app.

    eg. Type phone number into keypad and have it search and return company name and details as it currently does for contacts.

    Maybe all they need is a CardDAV directory which is searchable but not listable.

    Regular search is obviously better via Spotlight or Siri, but this reverse search and using data detectors, area codes etc. all points to decreasing my trips to Google, and that's got to be a good thing.
  • Reply 11 of 38
    joshajosha Posts: 901member

    Re iOS7 Maps:

    I would love to  see accurate Maps for small communities.

    We always start with Apple Maps, it's very good in major centers, but often terrible in smaller communities.

  • Reply 12 of 38
    Hey AI:
    Another new feature with iOS 8 (at least I believe so) is that WiFi-only iPads now pull location information from Personal Hotspot paired iPhones - the blue dot in Maps now updates every 10 seconds. This never used to happen (Google search: "does iPad get location info from my iPhone")
    Unfortunately this does not kick the Apple Maps on the iPad into turn-by-turn directions, as it currently only shows an overview. Hopefully turn-by-turn is a feature to come with a new iOS update.

    Exciting to see the level of "Continuity" between iDevices with the new iOS.
  • Reply 13 of 38
    asdasdasdasd Posts: 5,686member
    mpantone wrote: »
    Slow news day.

    They (AppleInsider) had nothing else to post. The Wall Street Journal doesn't need to post anything about Apple on a given day. This site is expected to come up with something. And this is what we get.

    Isn't blogging great?

    If you can post your address we'll send the police to rescue you from the bad men who make you go to AI every day.
  • Reply 14 of 38
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    mpantone wrote: »
    Slow news day.

    They (AppleInsider) had nothing else to post. The Wall Street Journal doesn't need to post anything about Apple on a given day. This site is expected to come up with something. And this is what we get.

    Isn't blogging great?

    How much did your AI subscription set you back? You should ask for a refund.
  • Reply 15 of 38
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,033member

    I don't come here to read the blog, silly. I'm here for the FREE inane forum comments.

     

    Remember, this is a tech rumor blog. The 98%+ of the articles here will be wrong.

  • Reply 16 of 38
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member
    The big value in this is that we typically aren't going to remember what that random number on the call list was for. I look up sushi places in Portland cause I'm doing some work there and the crew had an itch for some sushi I might call ten places. Often to verify the POI info is correct. U Wanna Sushi sounds like the spot to go but which of the numbers I dialed was that (cause now I want to call back and actually book that table for 12 they said they could do)
  • Reply 17 of 38
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    charlituna wrote: »
    The big value in this is that we typically aren't going to remember what that random number on the call list was for. I look up sushi places in Portland cause I'm doing some work there and the crew had an itch for some sushi I might call ten places. Often to verify the POI info is correct. U Wanna Sushi sounds like the spot to go but which of the numbers I dialed was that (cause now I want to call back and actually book that table for 12 they said they could do)

    I run into that issue on a weekly basis and yet it never occurred to me that this could easily be solved by the phone app pulling Yelp data, especially when the data was given to it from the Maps app.
  • Reply 18 of 38
    asdasdasdasd Posts: 5,686member
    The phone app isn't pulling maps data is it? You have to go to maps first. But of course it should. Either place should do it.
  • Reply 19 of 38

    Android implements this feature much more comprehensively. You can search for businesses direct from the phone app. It will even run the search against incoming calls so you can see who is calling you.

  • Reply 20 of 38
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    asdasd wrote: »
    The phone app isn't pulling maps data is it? You have to go to maps first. But of course it should. Either place should do it.

    The phone app does pull City and State data from the area code. Throwing the whole number into the Siri backend to see if that matches up to a business in Yelp wouldn't be very difficult.
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