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Apple Tries to Copy a Google Maps Feature, the Result Is Hilarious

In its efforts to build a more powerful Google Maps competitor, Apple isn’t only focused on delivering a new-generation mapping experience but also on providing users with functionality that should have been there from the very beginning.
Apple Maps navigation 6 photos
Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
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A navigation app without parking information sounds odd in 2023, but Apple Maps is only now getting such capabilities.

Thanks to a partnership between the Cupertino-based firm and SpotHero, mostly known for the over 8,000 parking locations that it supports in the United States and Canada, Apple Maps users are finally provided with a more convenient way to find a place to park their cars.

However, the way the feature has been implemented leaves a lot to be desired and, in many ways, is rather ridiculous for a company the size of Apple.

Available on iPhone and Mac, the new feature is hiding under the More > Parking menu, so it’s no surprise that it escaped unnoticed until now. However, once users tap the parking option, Apple Maps is left running in the background, as they are redirected to the SpotHero website. This is where they are supposed to find the nearest parking space and even reserve a spot.

Everything is powered by SpotHere’s systems, so the payment takes place through its own platform. To be honest, I can hardly find a reason to use Apple Maps for parking in the first place, as the same capabilities are available in the dedicated SpotHere app anyway, so the current implementation makes no sense.

In so many ways, Apple’s approach is hilarious, especially when looking at what Google Maps is currently offering on this front.

As Apple Maps’ number one rival, Google Maps has been providing users with similar parking capabilities for quite some time, once again through partnerships with third-party companies. Google joined forces with companies like Passport and ParkMobile, but in this case, the company developed a more convenient approach, allowing its users to pay for parking without leaving Google Maps.

At first glance, Apple still has a lot to learn when it comes to its strategy of turning Apple Maps into a fully featured Google Maps alternative. Not only that its parking implementation is a mess, but the feature, once again, is aimed at only a limited number of users, proving that Apple’s main focus continues to be the United States.

This is actually one of the main shortcomings of Apple Maps and probably one of the reasons its current adoption is pretty limited. The new-generation Apple Maps experience, which includes high-res maps that are created by Apple itself, as well as more road details and enhanced navigation, is only available in a limited number of regions, despite being announced several years ago.

Apple clearly isn’t in a rush to compete with Google Maps in global markets, as the company apparently sticks with baby steps, trying to conquer the United States before eventually expanding its mapping efforts to other regions as well.
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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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