APPLE MAPS: A NEW DIRECTION WITH CROWD COLLABORATION

Apple is taking a leaf out of Waze’s book with its iOS 14.5 update, bringing a plethora of new features to its Maps software including accident reporting, speed checks, and hazards.

They’re the latest changes to the mapping tool, designed to create a more convenient and valuable tool that will change the way people get from A to B - and ultimately ditch rival apps.

APPLE’S RIDING THE WAZE

When Apple announced it was to transition from Google Maps to its own custom mapping tool back in 2012, consumers were excited. Not only did it mean that Google would have a new rival, but it would allow Apple to introduce new features exclusive to the iOS ecosystem and create a more streamlined and integrated product. What followed, however, fell short, and Apple was forced to apologize publicly for the rollout of its less-than-stellar map app. “We are doing everything we can to make Maps better,” Tim Cook wrote on the Apple website at the time, in one of the most humiliating moments for the Cupertino company. The truth is that Apple Maps has taken some wrong turns over the years, and rivals have developed more fully-formed solutions that work around the world. However, that’s not to say Apple hasn’t tried or hasn’t made improvements. In 2019, the company revealed it had spent “billions of dollars” on Maps, and the results are there. Whilst Google Maps and Waze have larger user bases than Apple Maps, the software has come on leaps and bounds and is now a genuine competitor to the two. Add in the fact that Apple Maps is the default mapping app on iOS, and the service now reaches millions of users every single day, offering directions and other location information.