Look Around With Maps

We’ve known for over a year now that Apple is working on a massive overhaul to Apple Maps, and Federighi explained how Apple has outfitted hundreds of airplanes and cars with custom sensors and LIDAR and driven over four million miles to collect mapping data. Apple’s mapping vehicles have been spotted at various places around the U.S., and most recently rolling around neighbourhoods in Canada.

It looks like Apple will finally be able to start incorporating all of this new data in iOS 13, with the entire U.S. expected to be covered by the end of 2019, and other countries — presumably including Canada — to follow next year.

Look Around

Most significantly, Apple is also rolling out its own answer to Google’s Street View. Federighi and other presenters pointedly avoided the use of that term — Apple’s new feature is called “Look Around” — but there’s no doubt that it’s basically an improved version of Street View. In addition to offering smoother and more realistic scrolling, places will be identified by icons and names, and users can tap on any location to bring up an overlay window with more details.

Collections

Apple Maps in iOS 13 will also allow users to create collections of their favourite places in whatever way suits their fancy, whether it’s restaurants to visit, or places to go on vacation, or simply a list of errands to run. Collections can also be shared with friends.

iOS 13 will also add new navigation and sharing features, including the ability to share a trip in progress, including a real-time ETA, with other Apple Maps users.