After launching new Apple Maps features last month in Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia, Apple is now testing them in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Slovakia.
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This is the nineteenth time Apple has expanded coverage of the all-new mapping, which features much greater detail and improved navigation.
Apple Maps was first released in 2012 as part of iOS 6, replacing Google Maps as the pre-installed maps app on iPhones.
The app didn't start out well, with major inaccuracies. Things got so bad that Apple CEO Tim Cook was forced to write a public apology in which he recommended iPhone owners download a mapping app from Bing, MapQuest, Waze, Google, or Nokia. Scott Forstall, who led the Apple Maps project, left the company shortly after.
While the company worked hard to fix the original mapping data, Apple ultimately decided to create its own maps from scratch, stating: “Maps is being rebuilt from the ground up to better reflect the world around you. The new underlying map uses Apple data and features improved geographic context, including pedestrian paths and parks, more detailed building and parking lot outlines, improved road coverage, and more.”
The development began in the US and has since gradually expanded around the world.
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New Apple Maps features in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Slovakia
So far, Apple has quietly rolled out the new Apple Maps features to a limited number of users in each of the three locations without any official announcement.
As usual, Justin O'Beirne - who has become known as an Apple Maps expert - was the first to spot it.
On May 2, 2022, Apple began publicly testing its next expansion in Hong Kong, Slovakia, and Taiwan.
This is the nineteenth time Apple has expanded its new map data since its public launch in September 2018.
The full list of countries and regions that will enjoy the new Apple Maps experience, once it becomes available to everyone, will include the following countries:
- Andorra
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Canada
- Croatian
- Czech Republic
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Israel (including the Palestinian territories)
- Italy
- Liechtenstein
- Luxembourg
- Monaco
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Puerto Rico
- San Marino
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Netherlands
- US Virgin Islands
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Vatican City
The availability of specific features varies by city.
It's likely that the final locations will be officially announced at WWDC.
Information source: 9to5mac.com
