Look Around (Apple)
Apple Look Around is a technology featured in Apple Maps that provides interactive panoramas from positions along a number of streets in various countries. Look Around allows the user to view 360° street-level imagery, with smooth transitions as the scene is navigated. Look Around was introduced with iOS 13 at Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2019. It was publicly released as part of iOS 13 on September 19, 2019.[1]
Background
In early 2015, vehicles equipped with twelve cameras and lidar sensors were seen in a variety of locations in the United States. These vehicles were owned by Apple. In June 2015, Apple stated on its website that the vehicles were collecting data to improve Apple Maps. Also, Apple claimed to secure privacy by making faces and license plates unrecognizable. In 2018 Apple confirmed in an article that it was rebuilding Apple Maps, with the first results rolled out in California.[2]
In May 2019, Apple announced plans to begin collecting data for Apple Maps in Canada.[3]
During WWDC on June 22, 2020, Apple announced its new maps would be coming to Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Canada later this year,[4] and had started surveying parts of Belgium and the Netherlands.
As of November 2021, Look Around covers roughly 35 areas, including parts of the United Kingdom (which includes the overseas territory of Gibraltar), Ireland, Canada, Japan, Andorra, Spain (including the Balearic and Canary Islands), Portugal, Italy, San Marino and the United States.[5]
During WWDC 2021 on June 7, 2021, Apple had announced that Spain and Portugal would receive the new maps that day, with both Australia and Italy getting them later in the year[6] On September 10, 2021, Apple published new map data in Andorra, Italy, San Marino, and Vatican City.[7] Apple officially began testing its new maps in Australia on October 19, 2021.[8]
Refine Location
In iOS 14, Apple released a new feature called Refine Location in Apple Maps, where the user scans the surrounding area and will update their location where there is low-quality data. This works with Look Around, as the same data is used to help with the accuracy of the locations. As of May 2021, The following areas have received the Refine Location feature:
| Country | Location |
|---|---|
 United States |
Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Orange County, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Riverside, California, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, Washington, D.C. |
Timeline of introductions
Coverage
| Country | Region |
|---|---|
 Andorra
|
Andorra |
 Canada
|
Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan |
 Ireland
|
Dublin |
 Italy
|
Full coverage |
 Japan
|
Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Nagoya, Osaka, Sendai, Takamatsu, Tokyo |
 Portugal
|
Continental Portugal |
 San Marino
|
Full coverage |
 Spain
|
Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Balearic Islands, Basque Country, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castile and León, Catalonia, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarre, Valencia |
 United Kingdom
|
Edinburgh, Gibraltar, London |
| United States
|
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Oahu, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Cruz, Seattle, Washington, D.C. |
Future coverage
According to the company, Apple's vehicles have driven through, or are scheduled to drive through, the following countries:[24]
See also
References
- ^ "iOS 13 Preview - Features". Apple. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
- ^ Panzarino, Matthew (June 29, 2018). "Apple is rebuilding Maps from the ground up". TechCrunch. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
- ^ "Apple starts collecting data for Apple Maps in Canada". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
- ^ Keane, Sean. "WWDC 2020: Apple adds cycling directions to Maps for iOS 14". C-Net. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
- ^ O'Beirne, Justin. "Apple Maps "Look Around" Current Coverage Areas". justinobeirne.com. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ McShan, Frank. "Redesigned Apple Maps Expanding to Spain and Portugal Today, Italy and Australia Later This Year". MacRumors. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
- ^ Hardwick, Tim. "Revamped Apple Maps Rolls Out Across Italy". MacRumors. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ Fathi, Sami. "Revamped Apple Maps Rolls Out in Australia [Updated]". MacRumors. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- ^ "iOS Feature Availability". Apple. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ "IOS 13 REVIEW: JOIN THE DARK SIDE". The Verge. September 19, 2019.
- ^ Lee, Tyler; PDT, on 10/01/2019 02:49. "Apple's Answer To Google's Street View Is Now Live In New York City, Los Angeles". Ubergizmo. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Apple Maps' Look Around feature works in three more U.S. Cities".
- ^ Slivka, Eric. "Apple Maps 'Look Around' Feature Expands to Chicago". MacRumors. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
- ^ Voorhees, John. "Apple Adds Look Around for Seattle, Washington in Maps". MacStories. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
- ^ Clover, Juli. "Apple Maps Gains Look Around in Some Japanese Cities". Mac Rumors. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ^ Neely, Amber. "UK, Ireland get Apple Maps Look Around, cycling directions". Apple Insider. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ Clover, Juli. "Apple Maps 'Look Around' Feature Now Available in Phoenix, Arizona". MacRumors. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
- ^ "Apple Maps rolls out update for Canada packed with new features". AppleInsider. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
- ^ "Apple Maps Look Around Feature Expands to Denver, Detroit, Miami and More". MacRumors. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
- ^ Clover, Juli. "Apple Maps 'Look Around' Feature Now Available in San Diego and Portland". MacRumors. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ Clover, Juli. "Apple Maps 'Look Around' Feature Expands to Atlanta, Georgia". MacRumors. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ McShan, Frank. "Redesigned Apple Maps Expanding to Spain and Portugal Today, Italy and Australia Later This Year". MacRumors. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
- ^ Esposito, Filipe. "Apple Maps 'Look Around' and enhanced data now expanded to Italy". 9to5 Mac. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
- ^ "Apple: Apple Maps vehicles". Retrieved 2 November 2015.