Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Apple
Apple hopes the world will eventually consider Apple Maps a fully featured alternative to Google Maps, but it's not a secret the service needs major improvements on several fronts.
The detailed city experience, often called DCE, is a major step toward bringing Apple Maps closer to Google Maps in terms of functionality. However, its rollout happens slowly, with Apple gradually bringing its new and detailed maps to new regions worldwide.
A new leak seems to reveal the next locations that'll get the detailed city experience, and if you live in the United States, you have all the reasons to be happy.
Apple will soon expect its new-generation Google Maps killer to a handful of regions, including Nassau County (NY), Westchester County (NY), Morris County (NJ), Loudon County (VA), Orange County (CA), Stamford (CT), and Montgomery County (PA).
Someone on reddit has spotted Apple testing 3D placeholders for the upcoming DCE debut, anticipating that the iPhone maker would soon start testing the new maps with trees, road markings, elevations, and custom 3D landmarks.
Apple has been working hard on bringing the DCE to more regions, but so far, the rollout has made slow progress, leaving Google Maps the only option for most users searching for detailed navigation.
Apple could release a major Apple Maps announcement on September 12, when the company announces the new-generation iPhone lineup. Apple Maps will get support for offline maps as part of the iOS 17 update, which will be available for the iPhone XS and newer. iOS 17 is already available in beta and should reach the GM phase in the coming days.
With offline maps, Apple Maps will allow users to navigate to a specific destination without an Internet connection. Compared to Google Maps, which only allows offline maps for the driving mode, Apple Maps will also support walking directions and transit (at least in the United States, with more regions to get the same functionality at a later time).
Apple still has several other top feature requests to address, including satellite navigation support. The service already supports satellite maps, allowing users to explore the world with satellite imagery. However, Apple disables satellite maps once navigation is enabled using the default map layer. The DCE improves the map layer with additional details, making navigation more straightforward on iPhone and CarPlay.
The biggest Apple Maps shortcoming in the fight against Google Maps is the limited availability, as Apple's service is only available on iOS without an Android version. Google Maps can be installed on iPhone and Android and is also available on Android Auto and CarPlay. It also sports other dedicated versions for the Apple Watch and various smartwatches, making navigation as convenient as possible at every moment.
A new leak seems to reveal the next locations that'll get the detailed city experience, and if you live in the United States, you have all the reasons to be happy.
Apple will soon expect its new-generation Google Maps killer to a handful of regions, including Nassau County (NY), Westchester County (NY), Morris County (NJ), Loudon County (VA), Orange County (CA), Stamford (CT), and Montgomery County (PA).
Someone on reddit has spotted Apple testing 3D placeholders for the upcoming DCE debut, anticipating that the iPhone maker would soon start testing the new maps with trees, road markings, elevations, and custom 3D landmarks.
Apple has been working hard on bringing the DCE to more regions, but so far, the rollout has made slow progress, leaving Google Maps the only option for most users searching for detailed navigation.
Apple could release a major Apple Maps announcement on September 12, when the company announces the new-generation iPhone lineup. Apple Maps will get support for offline maps as part of the iOS 17 update, which will be available for the iPhone XS and newer. iOS 17 is already available in beta and should reach the GM phase in the coming days.
With offline maps, Apple Maps will allow users to navigate to a specific destination without an Internet connection. Compared to Google Maps, which only allows offline maps for the driving mode, Apple Maps will also support walking directions and transit (at least in the United States, with more regions to get the same functionality at a later time).
Apple still has several other top feature requests to address, including satellite navigation support. The service already supports satellite maps, allowing users to explore the world with satellite imagery. However, Apple disables satellite maps once navigation is enabled using the default map layer. The DCE improves the map layer with additional details, making navigation more straightforward on iPhone and CarPlay.
The biggest Apple Maps shortcoming in the fight against Google Maps is the limited availability, as Apple's service is only available on iOS without an Android version. Google Maps can be installed on iPhone and Android and is also available on Android Auto and CarPlay. It also sports other dedicated versions for the Apple Watch and various smartwatches, making navigation as convenient as possible at every moment.
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