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Forget About Google Maps and Waze as Toyota Announces New-Generation Navigation

The navigation systems that often come bundled with new cars end up feeling dated after only a few months or so, and in most cases, drivers turn to mobile solutions like Google Maps and Waze.
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Photo: Mapbox
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There are several reasons why these apps come in handy, and it often comes down to a mix of up-to-date maps and new-generation features like the incident reporting engine available on Waze.

Toyota knows that offering advanced navigation is a major challenge, so the company has joined forces with Mapbox specifically to build a solution that would make switching to Google Maps, Waze, or Apple Maps pretty much unnecessary.

The new system, which will be available in Toyota and Lexus cars, will rely on the Mapbox Maps software development kit, and it essentially comes with two major benefits.

First and foremost, Toyota designers will be able to change the look and feel of the navigation experience just the way they want with the help of Mapbox Studio, therefore shipping new updates that would further refine the way the navigation solution works.

But more importantly, Mapbox allows Toyota to push updates in real-time, which means that the navigation experience overall will be updated more frequently than in the case of traditional pre-loaded software. How often this is going to happen is something that comes down to Toyota, but hopefully, the company will understand that it needs to ship updates at a fast pace if it wants to compete with the likes of Google Maps and Waze.

The new navigation capabilities will include the essential feature package, such as turn-by-turn navigation. The OTA updates, however, are the ones making a huge difference, as long as Toyota plays its cards right.

In the meantime, most Toyota models can already be fitted with Android Auto and CarPlay, so if users want to switch to Google Maps and Waze, the whole thing is extremely straightforward, as long as a mobile device is around.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
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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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