In recent years, Apple’s Maps app has become a serious competitor to Google. However, a function that has long been available in the USA has not been available so far. Now the bicycle maps are finally coming to Germany.
To say that Apple Maps got off to a rocky start would be a gross understatement. But despite wrong routes, crumpled satellite images and a lot of malice, the group did not let itself be defeated. And indeed: the iPhone’s map app has steadily improved and now even has features that its major competitor, Google Maps, lacks. Now an update brings several new functions to German cities.
The fans have been expecting one of these since it started ten years ago: with the update, cycle routes are finally available in Germany too. With this, Apple is also providing one of the most popular functions in Germany. The feature has been available in select US regions for almost 2.5 years.
Elaborate bike routes
The fact that it took so long is certainly also due to the immense effort involved in the function. The new routes not only show paths that can be ridden by bike and knows bike lanes, bike paths and roads that are particularly suitable for bikes and plans the routes accordingly. Instead, Apple has built in several features that are aimed directly at cyclists.
The routes also contain information on the altitude profiles of the route, indicating whether there is a lot of traffic to be expected there. In both cases, extreme routes can also be easily sorted out. The optional voice instructions for route guidance have been adjusted. In appropriate situations such as crossings, they now also indicate that it is better to get off and push a bit.
Many of the traditional route options have also been adapted to the needs of cyclists. The routes also include information on bicycle workshops, for example, instead of the route overview you can also only display the turns. And: Bike navigation can also be set as the standard for bike fans. The navigation has also been adjusted accordingly in the Maps app for the Apple Watch.
Apple Maps: more at a glance
Some other functions are only available in selected major cities. The update brings Apple’s revised map view to Munich, Berlin and Hamburg. This not only improves navigation on foot or in the car with information on road markings, turning lanes or detailed pedestrian crossings. With the so-called “windshield view”, Apple also shows a view of the street level if desired, in order to improve the overview in complex turning situations.
The augmented reality view will be rolled out even further for pedestrians. It makes it possible to display information about nearby shops or route information via the camera image. So far, this was only possible in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt am Main. Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Essen, Cologne, Leipzig and Stuttgart are now added.
The new features will go live on February 17th and will appear in the current version of the app without an update.
What: Apple
