Apple Caught Preparing Major Apple Maps Update, Big Announcement Coming Soon

Apple Maps' last major expansion was announced more than 300 days ago, leading some to wonder whether the iPhone maker was intent on creating a better alternative to Google Maps, but now it looks like the company is actually working on something big for its app.

Apple Maps is getting better, but Apple’s pace of releasing updates is slow. While the availability of detailed city experiences has only improved over the past year, a recent discovery suggests Apple wants to roll out Look Around in several new regions and expand beyond major cities.

Look Around is Apple's answer to Google Street View, allowing users to explore a specific region using street-level imagery. Apple is more focused on high-resolution imagery, so Look Around typically offers better quality than Street View.

However, the limited availability of this feature has had a significant impact on its adoption, mainly because Apple has focused on large cities in the United States and a very limited number of locations in Europe.

That’s all changing now, as Apple has been caught working on a Look Around expansion that includes countries like Bulgaria, Mexico, Slovakia, China, Egypt, and Turkey. Apple has been collecting data from these locations for over a year, so the company now appears ready to release it publicly.

The good news is that Look Around won't be limited to cities. As recently reported, the feature will also include rural regions and highways, so Apple seems to be planning to turn Look Around into a more powerful alternative to Street View.

The iPhone maker has remained tight-lipped about its plans, but everyone is expecting an announcement next month at its big iPhone 16 party. Apple will unveil its next-generation iPhone series in September, and the event will also see other big announcements, with Apple Maps expected to get a big spotlight.

Apple has begun expanding Apple Maps beyond its ecosystem, with a beta version of the service now available on the web with limited functionality. Google Maps has been available on the web for many years, but Apple has continued to keep its service exclusive to its own devices. The new strategy suggests that Apple may be planning to expand Apple Maps to more users, although it is unclear whether the company is also working on an Android version of the app.

Expanding Apple Maps and bringing it to as many users as possible has become a priority for Apple since the demise of Apple Car. The vehicle spearheaded Apple’s push into the automotive world, and without it, Apple’s only option is to focus heavily on software and services to become a major name in the automotive industry. Apple Maps and CarPlay will lead that effort, although major improvements are needed.