What you need to know
- Apple Maps was updated in Tokyo with AR walking directions earlier this week.
- It has now been updated with cycling directions nationwide in Japan.
- Look Around also appears to have been expanded in some cities.
Apple has further updated its Maps software in Japan with cycling directions and expanded Look Around.
Atadistance reports that following AR directions arriving in Tokyo earlier this week, Apple has also added cycling directions nationwide and Look Around expansions in some cities:
A busy week for Apple Maps Japan, first AR walking directions, today we have cycling directions and long awaited Look Around expansions to Sapporo, Niigata, Shizuoka and Akashi. Cycling directions are confirmed for greater Tokyo, greater Yokohama, Kyoto and appear to be nation wide: I can plan cycling trips in Kagoshima using the macOS Maps app.
The report notes that while Apple's own image collection is not as extensive in Japan as it is in the U.S. and Europe, Apple's cycling data offers fastest route suggestions, routes with less traffic, no walking sections, and more.
The report goes on to note that the remaining big-ticket Apple Maps items yet to land in Japan are Real-Time Transit, Detailed City Experience, and new Apple Maps data.
As noted, Apple updated Maps in Tokyo earlier this week with new AR walking directions. Look Around first came to Japan in August 2020, and more recent Maps updates were first announced for iOS 15 by Apple in September.
With WWDC 2022 and iOS 16 just around the corner, there's every possibility that Apple may add even more exciting new features to its Apple Maps software. Apple Maps may have gotten off to a rocky start in life, but now exists as one of the best iPhone apps for navigation you find, especially in the Apple ecosystem thanks to integration with devices like the Apple Watch Series 7.
