Photo: Huawei
Finding a Google Maps alternative shouldn’t necessarily be impossible given the number of apps in this space is growing, but Huawei wants Petal Maps to become the go-to app for everybody.
This is why the Chinese tech behemoth is investing aggressively in new-generation capabilities, and the Mobile World Congress served as the perfect opportunity to showcase the latest improvements.
The top highlight is the full-screen lane-level guidance.
Such capabilities are already available in several navigation apps, but Petal Maps proposes a modern approach that uses the entire screen. The basic concept of lane-level guidance displays the available lanes when approaching an intersection and highlights the one you must use according to the recommended route.
Waze includes lane guidance as well, with the information displayed at the top of the screen in the route guidance panel. The application displays all lanes and highlights the one you can use to follow the suggested directions.
Huawei has updated Petal Maps with a more innovative concept. The navigation solution uses the entire screen for lane guidance, and the UI is activated when you approach the intersection.
Petal Maps fills the entire screen specifically to make it easier to see what lane you must use. To present the correct information, Petal Maps relies on data such as 3D road modeling algorithms and lane extraction from HD satellite images. Based on this information, the application can simulate the intersection in 3D. The information is then displayed in full-screen mode to render detailed road specifications.
The feature isn’t yet available globally, but Huawei says it’s working on bringing it to all users. At this point, it’s mostly focused on the road network in Mexico, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
Petal Maps is the result of Huawei’s strategy to build a platform without Google services. Back in 2019, the company was banned by the United States government from using software and hardware developed by American firms. As such, Huawei started working on alternatives to Google services, and the tech firm also gave up on the licensed version of Android.
Petal Maps is Huawei’s Google Maps alternative. Since its debut, the application evolved significantly, so it now offers the essential feature package, including offline maps, turn-by-turn guidance, and multiple navigation models.
Petal Maps isn’t available on Android Auto, and this is the main drawback when compared to Google Maps. Furthermore, the iOS experience is rather limited versus the one offered to Android users.
Huawei is betting big on 3D content in Petal Maps, and at MWC, the company also announced new digital maps to explore certain locations across the world. It has already created detailed 3D displays of nearly 100 landmark buildings in an approach that reminds of similar improvements available for Google Maps users via the immersive mode.
The top highlight is the full-screen lane-level guidance.
Such capabilities are already available in several navigation apps, but Petal Maps proposes a modern approach that uses the entire screen. The basic concept of lane-level guidance displays the available lanes when approaching an intersection and highlights the one you must use according to the recommended route.
Waze includes lane guidance as well, with the information displayed at the top of the screen in the route guidance panel. The application displays all lanes and highlights the one you can use to follow the suggested directions.
Huawei has updated Petal Maps with a more innovative concept. The navigation solution uses the entire screen for lane guidance, and the UI is activated when you approach the intersection.
Petal Maps fills the entire screen specifically to make it easier to see what lane you must use. To present the correct information, Petal Maps relies on data such as 3D road modeling algorithms and lane extraction from HD satellite images. Based on this information, the application can simulate the intersection in 3D. The information is then displayed in full-screen mode to render detailed road specifications.
The feature isn’t yet available globally, but Huawei says it’s working on bringing it to all users. At this point, it’s mostly focused on the road network in Mexico, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
Petal Maps is the result of Huawei’s strategy to build a platform without Google services. Back in 2019, the company was banned by the United States government from using software and hardware developed by American firms. As such, Huawei started working on alternatives to Google services, and the tech firm also gave up on the licensed version of Android.
Petal Maps is Huawei’s Google Maps alternative. Since its debut, the application evolved significantly, so it now offers the essential feature package, including offline maps, turn-by-turn guidance, and multiple navigation models.
Petal Maps isn’t available on Android Auto, and this is the main drawback when compared to Google Maps. Furthermore, the iOS experience is rather limited versus the one offered to Android users.
Huawei is betting big on 3D content in Petal Maps, and at MWC, the company also announced new digital maps to explore certain locations across the world. It has already created detailed 3D displays of nearly 100 landmark buildings in an approach that reminds of similar improvements available for Google Maps users via the immersive mode.
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