Three New Google Maps Features That Make Other Navigation Apps Look Outdated

It’s not a secret, however, that Google Maps’ audience is also the target of several other large companies, including even long-time rival Apple.

But while the market as a whole keeps evolving, so does Google Maps, as the Mountain View-based search giant keeps on adding more and more capabilities that prepare its platform for the modern world.

The latest announcements are intriguing, to say the least, especially for diehard Google Maps users, so here are three of the features you should totally be excited about.

First and foremost, the eco-friendly routing.

Announced a long time ago, the eco-friendly routes are now live in Google Maps as a feature whose purpose is as simple as it could be.

With this new functionality, the navigation app isn’t only looking for the fastest route to a user-defined destination but also the one that’s the most fuel-efficient. In other words, Google Maps will now help users save gas while also reducing their carbon footprint by taking into account various factors, such as the traveling speed and the road incline.

Whenever you are setting up the navigation to a new destination, Google Maps now looks for both the fastest and the eco-friendly routes, so you can see a comparison between the two and choose the one that suits you best. Google Maps can also provide an estimate of the fuel saving and the ETA.

Needless to say, Google Maps can still default to the fastest route, with a dedicated option added to settings, but overall, the eco-friendly navigation is precisely what everybody needs these days given the skyrocketing gas prices.

Then, it’s the immersive view.

This isn’t exactly a navigation feature per se, but its purpose is to allow you to explore a certain place before going there.

The immersive view is a combination of the latest-generation technology, including Street View data and aerial images, which helps generate a digital model of the world. With immersive mode, Google Maps lets you see a 3D version of the most popular locations with rich details that closely resemble what you see in the real life.

At first, the immersive mode will only let you explore popular landmarks, with dedicated settings to see each location both during the day and during the night.

The rollout of this super-advanced feature is happening in stages, and earlier this week, Google started the release of photorealistic aerial views of close to 100 locations, such as Barcelona, London, New York, and San Francisco.

And last but not least, it’s the lite navigation for cyclists.

As pretty much everybody knows already, Google Maps also comes with a cycling navigation component, so if instead of driving a car you prefer to ride a bike, the application can also offer step-by-step guidance to the destination.

Because using a mobile device while biking isn’t obviously a recommended thing, Google Maps is getting a refreshed UI for the cycling navigation that includes additional information such as the ETA updated in real-time, the elevation of the route, and the trip progress.

A notification that shows up in the notification center also includes additional information, including the ETA, and obviously, all these details come in super-handy to those who aren’t using Google Maps for turn-by-turn navigation.

This time, however, the feature isn’t ready for prime time, with Google projected to start the rollout to iPhones and Android devices at some point in the coming months.