Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Huawei
Google Maps remains the number one name in the navigation space, but its competitors are slowly but surely getting better.
Petal Maps is living proof. Launched by Huawei specifically to replace Google Maps, Petal Maps keeps evolving, with every new update bringing additional features and refinements.
The latest update brings Petal Maps to version 3.7.0 and includes three significant changes.
The first concerns how Petal Maps displays ETAs for your routes. Like other navigation apps, Petal Maps provides route guidance to any destination you define within the app. It calculates an ETA based on several factors, such as the distance to the final point and the travel speed for each section of the route, and tells you when you're expected to arrive at the destination.
Petal Maps also calculates the ETA across different time zones starting with this version. This feature is useful mainly if you travel aboard and use Petal Maps for navigation, as the application can generate a more accurate estimated time of arrival based on how the time changes when entering a new time zone.
The second substantial improvement concerns your favorite locations. Google Maps, Waze, and Apple Maps allow you to save your common locations, such as home and office, so you can navigate to them more quickly. Petal Maps comes with a similar feature, and starting with this version, you can save a location and add an extra note. Thanks to this option, you can organize the saved locations easier and find a destination in the favorites list faster.
The third update involves Huawei's social component. Allowing users to contribute to the data available on Petal Maps has long been a key focus for the Chinese tech company, especially as it wants its mapping platform to be a fully featured alternative to Google Maps. It's not a secret that Google Maps excels on this front, as users across the globe post reviews and update the map data to keep the information up-to-date.
Huawei is betting big on contributions, and this version introduces a more straightforward refreshed layout for the Contribution screen. This refinement aims to make it easier for users to contribute to Petal Maps, eventually improving the map data for everybody.
The new Petal Maps version is now available for download from the Huawei AppGallery and the Google Play Store on Android devices. The iOS version is still well behind its Android sibling regarding features, as Apple's walled garden doesn’t allow the Chinese tech behemoth to bring the same capabilities to iPhone users.
Huawei launched Petal Maps after the US government banned the company from using software and hardware developed by American companies. The May 2019 sanctions forced the Chinese firm to develop a suite of services to replace Google's products.
The latest update brings Petal Maps to version 3.7.0 and includes three significant changes.
The first concerns how Petal Maps displays ETAs for your routes. Like other navigation apps, Petal Maps provides route guidance to any destination you define within the app. It calculates an ETA based on several factors, such as the distance to the final point and the travel speed for each section of the route, and tells you when you're expected to arrive at the destination.
Petal Maps also calculates the ETA across different time zones starting with this version. This feature is useful mainly if you travel aboard and use Petal Maps for navigation, as the application can generate a more accurate estimated time of arrival based on how the time changes when entering a new time zone.
The second substantial improvement concerns your favorite locations. Google Maps, Waze, and Apple Maps allow you to save your common locations, such as home and office, so you can navigate to them more quickly. Petal Maps comes with a similar feature, and starting with this version, you can save a location and add an extra note. Thanks to this option, you can organize the saved locations easier and find a destination in the favorites list faster.
The third update involves Huawei's social component. Allowing users to contribute to the data available on Petal Maps has long been a key focus for the Chinese tech company, especially as it wants its mapping platform to be a fully featured alternative to Google Maps. It's not a secret that Google Maps excels on this front, as users across the globe post reviews and update the map data to keep the information up-to-date.
Huawei is betting big on contributions, and this version introduces a more straightforward refreshed layout for the Contribution screen. This refinement aims to make it easier for users to contribute to Petal Maps, eventually improving the map data for everybody.
The new Petal Maps version is now available for download from the Huawei AppGallery and the Google Play Store on Android devices. The iOS version is still well behind its Android sibling regarding features, as Apple's walled garden doesn’t allow the Chinese tech behemoth to bring the same capabilities to iPhone users.
Huawei launched Petal Maps after the US government banned the company from using software and hardware developed by American companies. The May 2019 sanctions forced the Chinese firm to develop a suite of services to replace Google's products.
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