Photo: autoevolution
While Google Maps is hands down the number one navigation app in international markets, not the same thing can be said about China, where it’s much harder for foreign companies to compete against domestic rivals.
Tencent, for example, is currently the maker of one of the most popular navigation apps in the country. Alongside Baidu Maps and Amap, Tencent Maps dominates the local navigation software market, and according to a new report from local media, it’s getting ready to add new capabilities.
More specifically, Tencent Maps will soon be updated with taxi-hailing features, which is something that other Chinese companies are currently exploring too.
What this means is that users of Tencent Maps will be able to call a cab right from within the app, and right now, it looks like the feature will first go live with Didi Chuxing first, while other services, like Caocao Zhuanche and Shouqi Yueche, would be added at a later time.
No other specifics have been provided at this point, but it’s believed the new update is supposed to go live in the coming weeks.
If the implementation of taxi-hailing features in a navigation app sounds familiar to you, it’s because Google Maps itself already comes with such capabilities. Uber integration in Google Maps has been around for a while, so users can just order a ride without having to turn to the dedicated app.
Similar features are available for Lyft, and most likely, Google will expand this with support for more services in the coming years.
The good news is that Tencent’s navigation app expansion plan is currently limited to China, as this is the market of focus for the company. On the other hand, worth knowing is that Google Maps is currently banned in the country anyway, so unless Tencent plans to go international, the Mountain View-based search giant would continue to compete against the likes of Apple Maps in international markets.
More specifically, Tencent Maps will soon be updated with taxi-hailing features, which is something that other Chinese companies are currently exploring too.
What this means is that users of Tencent Maps will be able to call a cab right from within the app, and right now, it looks like the feature will first go live with Didi Chuxing first, while other services, like Caocao Zhuanche and Shouqi Yueche, would be added at a later time.
No other specifics have been provided at this point, but it’s believed the new update is supposed to go live in the coming weeks.
If the implementation of taxi-hailing features in a navigation app sounds familiar to you, it’s because Google Maps itself already comes with such capabilities. Uber integration in Google Maps has been around for a while, so users can just order a ride without having to turn to the dedicated app.
Similar features are available for Lyft, and most likely, Google will expand this with support for more services in the coming years.
The good news is that Tencent’s navigation app expansion plan is currently limited to China, as this is the market of focus for the company. On the other hand, worth knowing is that Google Maps is currently banned in the country anyway, so unless Tencent plans to go international, the Mountain View-based search giant would continue to compete against the likes of Apple Maps in international markets.
Google News