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Apple Continues Google Maps Offensive, Sends Apple Maps Cars to New Location

While everybody is now waiting for Apple to roll out iOS 14.5 to iPhones out there and bring incident reporting capabilities to Apple Maps as a result, the company is also working around the clock on new imagery for its service.
Apple Maps car on Google Street View 1 photo
Photo: Google Street View/Screenshot by autoevolution
Earlier this week, the white Subaru Imprezas that Apple uses for capturing Apple Maps imagery have been spotted in Amsterdam, where they are supposed to collect street-level photos that would then be used for Look Around.

A rival to Google’s Street View, Apple’s Look Around allows users to view street-level imagery on iPhones, iPads, and Macs, all based on content captured by these cars. The more significant difference between the two services is the higher resolution offered by Look Around. Of course, Google Street View covers a much larger part of the planet as compared to its Cupertino-based rival.

According to Apple’s official Apple Maps image collection website, the cars are indeed capturing data in the Netherlands as we speak, though strangely enough, Amsterdam isn’t on the list of locations that are currently being scanned. Apple says the image collection in all Dutch regions should come to an end in May 2021.

Apple is conducting ground surveys with vehicles around the world to collect data to improve Apple Maps and to support the Look Around feature. We may periodically revisit and re-collect data in some of those locations in an effort to maintain a high-quality, up-to-date map,” the company explains.

As for when the new imagery is supposed to go live on Apple Maps for anyone to see, this is, of course, something that only Apple itself knows.

Processing the data sometimes takes up to several months, and as we know already, Apple has never been in a rush to ship such updates to users across the world. So you’d better not hold your breath for Amsterdam to show up on Look Around anytime soon.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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