Apple Maps update adds more detail and gives ‘faster and more accurate’ navigation
APPLE has refreshed its Maps app, adding what it says is faster and more accurate navigation.
The re-designed app also adds more detail to roads and buildings to give users a more "comprehensive" view of what's around them, Apple said.
The new Maps has already rolled out in the United States and will reach users in Europe in the coming months.
"We set out to create the best and most private maps app on the planet that is reflective of how people explore the world today," said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services.
"It is an effort we are deeply invested in and required that we rebuild the map from the ground up to reimagine how Maps enhances people’s lives."
Apple released Maps in 2012 but it has struggled against the likes of Google Maps, by far the world's most popular navigation app.
Figures from comScore suggest of the roughly 86million iPhone owners in the US in 2017, only 23million used the iPhone's integrated map app.
Among the new features added by Apple is Look Around, which shows you street-level photos to help you find your way around major cities.
Customers from anywhere in the world can navigate through New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Houston and Oahu, with many more places to come.
Apple has also introduced Collections, which let you compile and share lists of your favourite haunts.
Maps now works at more than just street level, too: You now get indoor navigation for big buildings like airports.
Cue said the redesign has been built from the ground-up "with privacy at its core".
Apple has recently looked to leverage its attentive attitude to privacy in its battle with data-hoovering tech titans like Google and Facebook.
It's perhaps the main draw of Apple Maps over Google's rival service, which has come under fire for silently tracking the location of its users.
TOP STORIES IN TECH
In other news, Samsung is expected to reveal the world's first 5G tablet in a matter of weeks.
The iPhone 12 could be the thinnest ever thanks to new screen technology.
And the new phone could also see through mist and fog thanks to rumoured 'Spectral Edge' camera integration.
What do you think of the new Apple maps? Let us know in the comments!
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]