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Google Maps Alternative Copies Rival’s Features, Major Update Now Available

Huawei’s Petal Maps is slowly but surely becoming a super-advanced navigation app, especially as the Chinese tech behemoth seems to be fully committed to improving its software with new capabilities.
Huawei Petal Maps 6 photos
Photo: Huawei
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The most recent update for Petal Maps not only helps deliver a set of new features to users, but also brings the app closer to its rivals in terms of general functionality.

And the way it does that is, well, debatable, as the update changelog also includes some features that are already available in the other navigation apps out there.

First and foremost, Huawei’s Petal Maps is now capable of measuring the distances between two points on the map. However, the whole thing is only possible in a straight line, something which Google Maps has been supporting for several years already.

Then, Petal Maps is being updated with advance warnings specifically implemented to avoid hazards on the road ahead. This means Huawei’s application is getting a touch of Waze, as the Google-owned application is already capable of displaying warnings whenever drivers are approaching the reported location of accidents, speed traps, fog, roadkill, and so on.

Huawei, however, also wants to make route planning a more advanced process, and to do this, it’s updating Petal Maps with functionality that’s already available in Waze and Google Maps. Starting with the most recent update, Petal Maps can display the usual traffic conditions for certain sections of the route, therefore helping you prepare every part of the journey accordingly.

Needless to say, Petal Maps copying some ideas from its rivals isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially because features like the warnings shown to drivers are already part of the must-have package every navigation app out there should sport. This is the reason Apple Maps has also been updated with incident reporting, so at the end of the day, such a feature makes sense in Petal Maps as well.

The latest version also includes information on the satellites the device is connected to. This way, users can determine the satellites that the device is using for positioning and navigation, therefore being able to diagnose certain GPS errors in a more straightforward way.

And last but not least, Huawei is also refining the review section of Petal Maps with a new default setting within the app. The application now shows high-quality reviews at the top of the screen, therefore making it easier for users to find the information that is the most relevant for every specific listing in Petal Maps.

The new Petal Maps version is 3.2.0, and it can be downloaded right now from the typical channels, including the Huawei App Gallery. Of course, users are recommended to get it ASAP if they want to try out the features mentioned above, but also for the other undisclosed fixes that are expected to be bundled with the update.
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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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