Before Apple Maps launched, iPhones used Google Maps data, and after Google was replaced as the default, Apple's maps were seen as inferior. The investment in its mapping software comes years after Apple CEO Tim Cook said he was ' extremely sorry' for a buggy launch of Apple Maps in 2012. By building its own maps, Apple can push out faster updates, as well as improve location on the iPhone overall in programs such as Photos, iMessage and Siri. One reason for the large investment in its maps software is Apple would rather rely more on data that it collects and owns, as opposed to licensing from companies such as OpenStreetMap and TomTom.
'Now, we have outfitted literally hundreds of planes and cars with custom sensors and lidar and driven over 4 million miles to rebuild our map from the ground up,' Federighi said at the conference.Īpple said it had invested 'billions of dollars in Apple Maps' in a letter sent to Congress last November. Personal Loans for 670 Credit Score or Lower Personal Loans for 580 Credit Score or Lower Best Debt Consolidation Loans for Bad Credit