08/23 Update below. This post was originally published on August 20th
Apple is currently using Google for Google Maps. So far in 2020, the company has radically tested Apple Maps, prioritized international expansion and made major Apple Maps upgrades a pillar of iOS 14. Google’s concern is obvious, but for those trying to stop it, Google Maps is now fighting but why.
Google is making its biggest Google Maps changes in years
In a new blog post, Google Maps product manager Sujoy Banerjee has announced the biggest visual upgrades the service has seen in its 15-year history and they will reach 220 countries worldwide.
22/22 Update: Google does not rest on its laurels. In addition to the full visual overview explained below, the company now has announced Google Maps will map the boundaries of wildfires every hour via satellite data. The system uses National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites in combination with its own data. Entering the name of an active wildfire into Google Maps will remove the border, name and location next to news articles and emergency contact agencies. To ensure its accuracy, it appears that Google piloted the feature with help services last year, before giving it the opportunity to roll out to consumers. Google Maps already has flooding warnings and recently added earthquake detection.
08/23 Update: Spotted by Justine O’Beirne, Apple has responded to the Google Maps upgrade by rolling out a new, more detailed version of Apple Maps to the UK and Ireland. These updated maps include detailed buildings, roads, parks and more. Unlike the almost simultaneous worldwide launch of Google Maps, Apple took a year to release its upgraded mapping across the US, but that process has now begun to launch internationally. Canada is expected to follow suit with other European countries added. Apple Maps has made tremendous strides in recent years, but it’s the slower roll of the company’s upgrades that can keep Google Maps ahead – for now.
“Google Maps has high definition satellite images for more than 98 percent of the world’s population. With a new algorithmic technique for color mapping, we can take this image and translate it into an even more comprehensive, vibrant map of an area on a global scale, ”explains Banerjee.
Old (top) Vs new (bottom) data from Google Maps
The results are shocking. Google Maps can now map mountain peaks, ice caps, beaches, vegetation, deserts and more, as well as add much more detail to street maps. Google says the changes will scale “from the largest metropolitan areas to small, rural towns.”
For large cities (primarily London, New York, and San Francisco), Google has also upgraded streets to distinguish between intersections, sidewalks, and pedestrian islands, while the new Google Maps data itself will map the shape and width of roads. The implications of this added detail are significant, especially for anyone in a wheelchair like a stroller.
Upgraded street view from Google Maps shows much more detail
Google says this massive redesign of Google Maps will begin rolling out worldwide this week. And just like that, Apple Maps has to do it all over again.
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