The new Apple Maps detail has rolled out to three more countries and territories, making 16 in total. Apple began the process of creating its own mapping data from the ground up back in 2018, and the latest expansion covers France, Monaco, and New Zealand.
The new map data offers significantly more detail in both 2D and 3D representations, with the greatest difference seen in buildings of particular significance …
Background
Apple first announced that it was starting again with its mapping data with the launch of iOS 12 back in 2018. The first area to be remapped was San Francisco and the Bay Area, before expanding to Northern California.
“Since we introduced this six years ago — we won’t rehash all the issues we’ve had when we introduced it — we’ve done a huge investment in getting the map up to par,” says Apple SVP Eddy Cue, who now owns Maps, in an interview last week.
“When we launched, a lot of it was all about directions and getting to a certain place. Finding the place and getting directions to that place. We’ve done a huge investment of making millions of changes, adding millions of locations, updating the map and changing the map more frequently. All of those things over the past six years” […]
Advantages of the new mapping system include the ability to update and correct data in real-time. Cue says the new maps infrastructure will allow Apple to address road work and corrections much faster than the current version.
The new Apple Maps will also be the first version to use data collected by all those Apple Maps vans driving across the country for years. TechCrunch took a ride in one of these vans and says each is equipped with a Mac Pro, array of solid state drives, and an iPad — in addition to the GPS, LiDAR array, and hi-res cameras we see.
Apple completed the remapping of the USA in 2020, and has since added 15 new countries and territories.
The Cupertino company added further improvements in iOS 15, including augmented reality walking directions for select cities.
With the release of iOS 15, Apple Maps gets its biggest update ever with a city experience that offers rich details, driving routes with better navigation, immersive walking directions shown in augmented reality, and much more. The update, which expands on the new map that Apple spent years building from the ground up, is now available in London, Los Angeles, New York City, and the San Francisco Bay Area, with more cities to come.
New Apple Maps detail reaches three more places
Mapping enthusiast Justin O’Beirne has been tracking the rollout, and reports that France, Monaco, and New Zealand were all updated yesterday.
After thirty-nine days of public testing, Apple’s new map data was expanded to France, Monaco, and New Zealand on July 7, 2022.
This now brings the total to 16 countries and territories:
- US
- UK
- Ireland
- Canada
- Spain
- Portugal
- Italy
- San Marino
- Vatican City
- Andorra
- Australia
- Germany
- Singapore
- France
- Monaco
- New Zealand
O’Beirne shows examples of old versus new maps, in both 2D and 3D views. For example, look at the jetties and parks in Monaco:
But the most immediately visible difference is in the 3D detail of key buildings, like the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
The most striking difference shown is the island of Mont Saint-Michel!
Check out more examples on O’Beirne’s site.
Eight more countries and territories on the way
Apple has revealed that even more countries and territories will get the enhanced coverage in iOS 16:
- Belgium
- Israel
- Liechtenstein
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Palestinian Territories
- Saudi Arabia
- Switzerland
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