Apple Maps improvements conclude with push into Alaska, Central & Southeast US

Apple has made good on a promise it made at WWDC, and has now rolled out improved Apple Maps data across the entire U.S.

Spotted by Nate Thompson on Twitter, Apple Maps has begun rolling out an update that brings updated coverage to the U.S. Central and Southeast. The update includes greater detail to roads, bike paths, footpaths, parking lots, buildings, parks, pools, and bodies of water.

Looks like the new Apple Maps data just hit the southeast
(cc @MacRumors @9to5mac) pic.twitter.com/hYFyT8CXj7
— Nate Thompson (@NateThompson) December 27, 2019

Like the midwest update that took place in October, the expansion into the southeast appears to be rolling out at different times across different platforms.

This concludes Apple's rollout of the enhanced Maps data. Apple had promised the entirety of the US would get the data by the end of 2019.

It was recently revealed that Apple had spent "billions" on revamping Apple Maps, after a less than stellar launch of Maps in 2012. The information was released as part of Apple's ongoing antitrust probe, though an exact amount of money spent was never stated.

Apple Maps has been going through major changes, and the advent of iOS 13 has brought "Look Around" — Apple's rival to Google's Street View — to the iPhone.

44 Comments

ArcaSwiss 22 comments · 5 Years

About 4 years ago

I don't get why Apple has their own maps. Google Maps is what I use and don't think Apples are as good

tracker 35 comments · 19 Years

Competition is good! Keep companies inovating! Personally I use Waze (Google owned).

seanismorris 1624 comments · 8 Years

ArcaSwiss said:

I don't get why Apple has their own maps. Google Maps is what I use and don't think Apples are as good

Apple has their own maps because otherwise everyone would be using Google Maps.

What happens if Google released iOS map updates slower than on Android? For many, accurate maps is the most important thing on their phone. iPhone users would migrate...

fastasleep 6450 comments · 14 Years

ArcaSwiss said:

I don't get why Apple has their own maps. Google Maps is what I use and don't think Apples are as good

Because they, like myself, do not want to have to rely on Google. They also don’t want to be beholden to Google’s privacy and data policies with regard to their users. Also they are direct competitors. Also they’re working on a vehicle. Get it yet?

That said, I only use Apple Maps and it’s great.

macmojo 12 comments · 11 Years

ArcaSwiss said:

I don't get why Apple has their own maps. Google Maps is what I use and don't think Apples are as good

Apple has every right to compete in whatever market it chooses and the reason they created their own maps was due to Google not bringing turn by turn navigation to iOS (back in the iPhone 4 days) unless Apple was prepared to let Google data mine users the same way it does on Android.

Apple said no and the rest is history. For what it’s worth, I use Apple Maps all the time now and it works great for me.

I live in Sydney Australia and just yesterday saw a sedan in my suburb with a strange pole sticking up from its roof with a large bulbous enclosure atop it that looked like it had multiple camera lenses all around it. Was so focused on the weirdness of it I almost missed the writing on the side of the car - “Apple Imagery for Maps”!

so looks like it’s not just our American cousins who’ll be getting this enhancement!