Even though Apple has tried to improve its Maps with a radical redesign for iOS 7 and HopStop – Google has been steadily adding new features to the Google Maps app since its iOS release in December 2012 and quickly surpassed 10 million downloads. Google has been rolling out upgrades since then, such as real-time traffic signals and transit updates in major cities. It also bought navigation app Waze in June.
Now, Google is adding four small features to the new beta version of Google Maps (launched three months ago), which give users a sneak peek at its new travel strategy, which goes beyond basic search additions:
- Directions for multiple destinations: This seems like an obvious feature and is functional for driving, walking, and cycling directions.
- Multiple Destinations for City Sights: A subset of the above feature, allowing users to add museums, historic squares, and other attractions by drag and drop in the desired order, and adds a carousel View in the bottom right corner, a way to preview Street View, Photo Tours, and other imagery.
- Access to pre-booked flights, hotels and restaurant reservations in Maps: This is probably the best of the four features, and it’s borrowed from Google Search. Users can find existing flights, hotels and restaurants in Maps using airport codes or restaurant names, and it instantly shows your upcoming plans. This information is only available when the user is signed in to Google, and only they can see it, for privacy reasons. This feature is currently available to Maps users in the US, in English only.
- Search for Upcoming Events: This feature adds updates about various events and venues, based on location. For example, searching for Radio City Music Hall or O2 Arena and clicking Upcoming Events brings up a schedule of concerts, sporting events, and other events happening near users. Or users can start with a more general search like “music venues.”
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