Apple confirms that Apple Plans employees are starting to walk around the world to improve its mapping service. The firm has already been collecting data on the ground since 2015 by car, but in October people equipped with backpacks bursting with sensors began to be spotted by Californian netizens. Apple has also posted a page on its site that tracks where and on what date Apple Maps employees will collect data in the field.
Since its launch in September 2012, we can not really say that Apple Plans is overshadowing its rival Google Maps. The company's mapping application was originally thought of by Apple as a way to end its dependence on Google Maps, the mapping service that has managed to establish itself as many of Google's other products and services as the best and the most used of the market. As soon as it was released, Apple Plans (also known as Apple Maps in English-speaking countries) is rather shunned by iPhone users.
Apple wants to put Plans at Google Maps
And for good reason: the service is much less accurate and successful than its rival which was hitherto installed by default. To be able to offer Plans quickly to users without having to collect data in the field, Apple had bought data from several suppliers, including TomTom. But according to the first feedback, the application often gave incorrect navigation instructions, in addition to much less well integrate transit trips - areas in which Google Maps excels. Which does not mean that things have not improved since then.
In 2013, Apple bought, for example, HopStop and Embark (transit card specialists), WifiSlam (specialist in interior mapping), Locationary (mapping data) and Broadmap (management, classification and analysis of data). cartographic data). Since the application has managed to correct many of his youthful mistakes. But remains behind Google Maps, lack of such accurate data collected in the field. That's why, as early as 2015, Apple started running vehicles equipped with LIDARs and cameras on the roads.
But again, when Google Maps cars and foot staff have traveled virtually the entire planet, Apple has collected data from the field - outside the United States - only in a few regions (especially around capitals) in 9 countries, including France. Gold seems finally decided to go to the next level to prevent Google from winning the "card war". First, the Apple website has put a page on line where it is possible to know where and when the company's cars will drive the roads - mainly in the United States and United Kingdom at the time of writing.
Apple Plans and Google Maps will eventually become essential gears for autonomous cars
Apple's project manager, Eddy Cue, says the company is now focused on collecting data from the field. The firm also confirms that it is starting to employ people on foot equipped with electronic backpacks to collect even more accurate data on sidewalks and paths. In addition, according to Digital Trends, Apple would now use, anonymously, the location data from the iPhone. Ultimately, this should allow to update the cards more dynamically as its competitor.
The stakes are high: the companies that will have the best cartographic data tomorrow, will be able to sell them to the manufacturers of autonomous cars. A market that could "be worth billions of dollars," according to Bloomberg. However, Apple also has ambitions in this sector, a project called Project Titan internally.
Do you think that Apple can still win the battle against Google on the map? Share your opinion in the comments.
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