Apple Maps overhaul includes time-based directions, more detailed maps

AppleInsider · June 7, 2021 11:47PM

Apple is overhauling Apple Maps with a range of new features, including more detailed maps, time-specific navigation, and improvements to transit directions.

Credit: Apple

For example, the company in iOS 15 is adding a new feature that will let users get directions based on when they want to leave or arrive at a destination. This allows for estimated travel times based on traffic conditions.

Additionally, Apple has also revamped the transit map with new key bus routes. Users will be able to more easily interact with their current route, and may receive a notification when they are close to their destination.

Apple has also added a new interactive globe that's akin to Google Earth and "detailed city experiences" that allow users to explore cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and London with new details on elevation, trees, landmarks, and more.

Apple Maps has also been updated with new augmented reality-based directions for turn-by-turn navigation when on foot. Driving directions have been improved with easier-to-see details about traffic, incidents, and road features like turn lanes and medians.

Search in Apple Maps has also been improved, and the company has redesigned its place cards to make it easier to find important information about businesses, cities, and physical features such as mountain ranges.

Follow all of WWDC 2021 with comprehensive AppleInsider coverage of the week-long event from June 7 through June 11, including details on iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, macOS Monterey and more.

Stay on top of all Apple news right from your HomePod. Say, "Hey, Siri, play AppleInsider," and you'll get the latest AppleInsider Podcast. Or ask your HomePod mini for "AppleInsider Daily" instead and you'll hear a fast update direct from our news team. And, if you're interested in Apple-centric home automation, say "Hey, Siri, play HomeKit Insider," and you'll be listening to our newest specialized podcast in moments.

gerard · June 8, 2021 12:06AM

This reminds me of flyover; except this time it’s done right and appears useful.

slurpy · June 8, 2021 1:09AM

Pretty crazy how Apple Maps has outclassed Google maps in many capacities (note I didn't say EVERY capacity - but many) in such a short amount of time, while this is one of Google's key products and they had a massive head start. Google maps still has a POI advantage, but in my usage Apple maps is superior in every single other category. Usability, performance, map quality, aesthetics, sound quality, interface, smoothness of turn by turn, etc. I rely on it daily and I can't remember the last time it failed me. Very impressive work. The new in-house mapping data Apple now uses is gonna pay massive dividends.

CheeseFreeze · June 8, 2021 1:25AM

slurpy said:

Pretty crazy how Apple Maps has outclassed Google maps in many capacities (note I didn't say EVERY capacity - but many) in such a short amount of time, while this is one of Google's key products and they had a massive head start. Google maps still has a POI advantage, but in my usage Apple maps is superior in every single other category. Usability, performance, map quality, aesthetics, sound quality, interface, smoothness of turn by turn, etc. I rely on it daily and I can't remember the last time it failed me. Very impressive work. The new in-house mapping data Apple now uses is gonna pay massive dividends.

Reality check: that may be the case in the USA, but Apple Maps is terrible in Northern Europe vs Google.
Way less traffic & company information, their Streetview equivalent being absent expect one or two major cities, poor navigation, et cetera.

All these shiny features you mentioned are useless if the data isn’t there. With Google Maps I still get the data even when I’m in shit-town, nowhere.

We see similar issues with the lack of HomePod availability, Apple Watch cellular, et cetera. Not everyone in the world is a chai latte drinking hipster trying to get the next cable car in San Francisco.

entropys · June 8, 2021 1:40AM

Yes, considering Google maps is already there as an example, the roll out of features is quite glacial.

By the time the feature becomes available, imagery is out of date and Apple needs to think about starting again.

mdlall · June 8, 2021 1:58AM

They still did not add waypoints or multi-stop routes. This is very important for people who want to plan a trip. I remember way back when Microsoft Streets and Trips had all of those features. And where was CarPlay? A whole year has passed and not a mention of a single enhancement to a major product.

skippingrock · June 8, 2021 1:59AM

Though it is a smaller country, nothing can beat South Korea’s domestic map products. I was shocked 10 years ago during a visit that their GPS even alerted me to an upcoming speed bump was ahead, even in an apartment complex’s parking lot!

MacPro · June 8, 2021 2:22AM

mdlall said:

They still did not add waypoints or multi-stop routes. This is very important for people who want to plan a trip. I remember way back when Microsoft Streets and Trips had all of those features. And where was CarPlay? A whole year has passed and not a mention of a single enhancement to a major product.

I came here to say the same thing about Waypoints. I was so sure Apple would finally add them, what a let down. Waypoints are crucial to planning a trip that last a few days. CarPIay was mentioned. Updates later this year.

techrider · June 8, 2021 5:33AM

Had my hopes up for downloadable maps for off grid or international use

macapfel · June 8, 2021 8:33AM

I guess, this is one of the first spin-offs from Apple's automated driving efforts.

OllyJ · June 8, 2021 8:40AM

slurpy said:

Pretty crazy how Apple Maps has outclassed Google maps in many capacities (note I didn't say EVERY capacity - but many) in such a short amount of time, while this is one of Google's key products and they had a massive head start. Google maps still has a POI advantage, but in my usage Apple maps is superior in every single other category. Usability, performance, map quality, aesthetics, sound quality, interface, smoothness of turn by turn, etc. I rely on it daily and I can't remember the last time it failed me. Very impressive work. The new in-house mapping data Apple now uses is gonna pay massive dividends.

Completely agree with you slurpy.

And in response to the other comment from someone who seems to have a lot of pent-up anger. I am not in San Francisco, not in California and not in America and Apple Maps is always my go to maps, navigation and direction app. It's by far the easiest to understand for turn-by-turn navigation compared to any other app I've used and I don't understand why people love to hate on it.

genovelle · June 8, 2021 11:02AM

entropys said:

Yes, considering Google maps is already there as an example, the roll out of features is quite glacial.
By the time the feature becomes available, imagery is out of date and Apple needs to think about starting again.

Considering Apple helped Google tremendously with their mobile map product with a mountain of data and designed the original Map on iPhone themselves. The fact that they had to start from scratch using 3rd party data to just get turn by turn.

This new maps is actually a ground up version started what, two years ago. Keep in mind the Android mobile map app was not released until a year after it was co-developed with Apple on the iphone. Apple never wanted to be a maps company but was forced into it. The biggest mistake these companies make is undermining partnerships with Apple. They prefer to focus on what they do in their core business, but when they don’t have a choice they will learn your market and crush it for you.

This is a case of waking the bear. It’s like an invitation to come compete in my space.

Never force Apple to get serious about your market.

Before the rewrite it Maps was an update to what was co-created with Google but aggregated data from a lot of 3rd parties. Once they understood making they rebuilt it from the ground up. So it has taken them 3 years to do nearly catch Google who had a 12-13 year head start systematically mapping the world.

Search is likely next.

StrangeDays · June 8, 2021 12:41PM

CheeseFreeze said:

slurpy said:

Pretty crazy how Apple Maps has outclassed Google maps in many capacities (note I didn't say EVERY capacity - but many) in such a short amount of time, while this is one of Google's key products and they had a massive head start. Google maps still has a POI advantage, but in my usage Apple maps is superior in every single other category. Usability, performance, map quality, aesthetics, sound quality, interface, smoothness of turn by turn, etc. I rely on it daily and I can't remember the last time it failed me. Very impressive work. The new in-house mapping data Apple now uses is gonna pay massive dividends.

Reality check: that may be the case in the USA, but Apple Maps is terrible in Northern Europe vs Google.
Way less traffic & company information, their Streetview equivalent being absent expect one or two major cities, poor navigation, et cetera.

All these shiny features you mentioned are useless if the data isn’t there. With Google Maps I still get the data even when I’m in shit-town, nowhere.

We see similar issues with the lack of HomePod availability, Apple Watch cellular, et cetera. Not everyone in the world is a chai latte drinking hipster trying to get the next cable car in San Francisco.

What a silly thing to say. Your hipster hate is living in your head... The majority of the US is rural, not San Francisco. I'm in Louisiana, a backwaters Deep South state (second only to Mississippi), and Apple Maps has been my only-used maps app since launch. The app is a joy to use. If you don't think the data in nowhere-Europe is going to catch up, what can we say...you have an imagination problem.

ncee · June 8, 2021 1:13PM

I for one would Love maps to be more like Google maps and or Roadtrippers, in that one could plan a trip with it. Allowing for multiple stops. This would make using maps more practical and safer, as you would have to keep watching for turns and such. While typing this I notice others have mention things like this, so I guess it is important for Apple to consider this if they want folks to use the app more. I'm not sure the last time I even opened Maps? Slurpy?

am8449 · June 8, 2021 1:33PM

I'm excited that Apple Maps will get another great update, especially the bus routes and navigation. Although I think Apple Maps is easier to use and better designed, I primarily use Google Maps for its wealth of data.

I live in Taiwan, and use maps mainly to look for restaurants and locate stores, and secondarily to search for bus routes. Here Google is king when it comes to restaurant information: offering ratings, reviews, photos, menus, and even third-party delivery and reservation services. This is an instance where the quantity of the data is really helpful, and Apple Maps just can't competitive in its current state. I would gladly switch to Apple Maps if it met my needs, especially for the added privacy, but I'm guessing the tightly focused Apple way will need more time until it makes a serious, concerted push into broadening the scope of its maps app.

lolliver · June 9, 2021 7:50AM

OllyJ said:

slurpy said:

Pretty crazy how Apple Maps has outclassed Google maps in many capacities (note I didn't say EVERY capacity - but many) in such a short amount of time, while this is one of Google's key products and they had a massive head start. Google maps still has a POI advantage, but in my usage Apple maps is superior in every single other category. Usability, performance, map quality, aesthetics, sound quality, interface, smoothness of turn by turn, etc. I rely on it daily and I can't remember the last time it failed me. Very impressive work. The new in-house mapping data Apple now uses is gonna pay massive dividends.

Completely agree with you slurpy.

And in response to the other comment from someone who seems to have a lot of pent-up anger. I am not in San Francisco, not in California and not in America and Apple Maps is always my go to maps, navigation and direction app. It's by far the easiest to understand for turn-by-turn navigation compared to any other app I've used and I don't understand why people love to hate on it.

And I completely agree with both of you. I'm in rural Australia and have had a great experience with Apple Maps as far as accuracy and ease of use.

Before swapping to Apple Maps I noticed Google Maps had the local Hospital located on the wrong side of town. Several blocks from it's actual location. I reported it to them and it took over a year before it was corrected. Fixing the location of a hospital should have been high on their list of issues.

When Apple Maps rolled out I noticed that the entry to the service road near my house was incorrect. I reported it and it was fixed within 2 weeks.

Google Maps definitely had more features than Apple Maps to begin with and these days there are features on both that the other is lacking. But for the most critical features I find Apple Maps more reliable. Add in the privacy and security benefits as well as the integration into the Apple ecosystem and it's the obvious choice for me.

wei · June 11, 2021 5:24AM

This is so true of South East Asia as well.. Apple often launches pretty neat and useful features to much fanfare.

Then users in Non-US cities will be sidelined till whenever it's deemed necessary to implement those features there.

Singaporean Applehead here, our tiny island state's current digital transit system could have been profoundly upgraded if a more tight-knit collaboration with the local transport ministry was worked out.

I reckon a couple of Apple Cars with those fancy Lidar sensors would have mapped out the entire island in a matter of weeks.

Integrating the existing digital bus and train estimation times to more accurately reflect them in Maps' transit directions also would have been awesome.

Indoor station mapping would have been amazing. ApplePay works in transit but Express Travel Card lists my default card and yet simply does not work when I'm at the turnstile.

It's fantastic that they are announcing all these great features, just wished the rollout was expanded a whole lot more*

Apple Maps overhaul includes time-based directions, more detailed maps

Comments