Apple will start mapping Austria for improved Apple Maps, 'Look Around'
Apple will soon begin collecting first-party data in Austria to expand the Apple Maps "Look Around" feature and to improve navigation.
Credit: Business Insider
According to German-language news outlet DerStandard, dozens of Apple vehicles will begin mapping the streets of Austria for the company starting on July 5. The initial rollout will focus on vehicular -- and not on-foot -- mapping, the publication added.
Apple maintains a list of regions and countries where its vehicles are collecting first-hand images for Apple Maps. As of Thursday, Austria has not been added to the list.
The Cupertino tech giant has been improving its Apple Maps experience in recent years.
For example, Apple rolled out an improved map experience in 2020 to all users in the U.S. Relying heavily on first-party navigation data, the new Apple Maps features much more accurate and faster directions, as well as more detailed information about local landmarks.
In iOS 13, Apple introduced a "Look Around" feature akin to Google's Street View. As of writing, the feature is available in 28 cities in the U.S., Japan, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
Keep up with everything Apple in the weekly AppleInsider Podcast -- and get a fast news update from AppleInsider Daily. Just say, "Hey, Siri," to your HomePod mini and ask for these podcasts, and our latest HomeKit Insider episode too.If you want an ad-free main AppleInsider Podcast experience, you can support the AppleInsider podcast by subscribing for $5 per month through Apple's Podcasts app, or via Patreon if you prefer any other podcast player.
Credit: Business Insider
According to German-language news outlet DerStandard, dozens of Apple vehicles will begin mapping the streets of Austria for the company starting on July 5. The initial rollout will focus on vehicular -- and not on-foot -- mapping, the publication added.
Apple maintains a list of regions and countries where its vehicles are collecting first-hand images for Apple Maps. As of Thursday, Austria has not been added to the list.
The Cupertino tech giant has been improving its Apple Maps experience in recent years.
For example, Apple rolled out an improved map experience in 2020 to all users in the U.S. Relying heavily on first-party navigation data, the new Apple Maps features much more accurate and faster directions, as well as more detailed information about local landmarks.
In iOS 13, Apple introduced a "Look Around" feature akin to Google's Street View. As of writing, the feature is available in 28 cities in the U.S., Japan, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
Keep up with everything Apple in the weekly AppleInsider Podcast -- and get a fast news update from AppleInsider Daily. Just say, "Hey, Siri," to your HomePod mini and ask for these podcasts, and our latest HomeKit Insider episode too.If you want an ad-free main AppleInsider Podcast experience, you can support the AppleInsider podcast by subscribing for $5 per month through Apple's Podcasts app, or via Patreon if you prefer any other podcast player.
Comments
get serious or get off the pot.
Google is so unbelievably far ahead in this I have no idea why Apple is wasting money on it. Google has surveyed my area 3 times since 2009, meanwhile Apple has surveyed an entire two cities in the UK in 2 years, despite the fact people have been seeing the Apple maps cars around for years. They're never going to catch up, and the rate at which they add data is glacial. What happened to Flyover? They've not added anywhere new in the UK for years. It's a joke. Which is a shame because - to use the widely used name, Apple's Street View is way better than Google's.
I've reported places closed or moved and the issue has been apparently "resolved", only for the same issue to continue to exist. Places that have closed or moved, places that have the wrong location on the map, wrong metadata, all reported, "resolved" and ignored. I don't bother anymore.
whereas the mapping of Austria has just started this month and will continue until September: https://maps.apple.com/imagecollection/locations/at
Yes it seems this is the year Apple really maps the whole world. The reason Apple has taken so long to introduce Look Around and other improvements is most likely because they are doing it right. Testing and researching how to do it properly takes years. You need a system that is going to function and can be updated for years to come. I’m pretty sure Apple is designing the whole system to be as robust and of high quality as they can.
Vienna has about the same population as Phoenix, which already has Look Around, as do several US cities even smaller than that, and Apple is going to focus their feature efforts in major population districts in countries where they have a major presence. They may be an American company, but they're global in sales, so it doesn't make sense to be so US-focussed.
I'm a little surprised they've mapped so many Japanese cities, though I guess it makes sense given what I just said: https://www.apple.com/ios/feature-availability/#maps-look-around
An old Aussie friend of mine (tall, long haired surfing buddy one hell of a lot better looking than me) had obtained his doctorate in a particularly difficult science and moved to the USA to do a post doc at UC Berkeley.
He was in a party one night and was helping in the kitchen. A couple of undergrad girls decided he was worth talking to:
Bimbo undergrad 1 ”Oh, I just luuuuve your accent! I could listen to it all da-ay”. Titter.
Bimbo undergrad 2 ”You speak English sooo well! How come?” Titter.
Post doc buddy “My family always spoke English at the dining table. We got quite good at it.”
Undergrads looked on, impressed.