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Apple has brought new Apple Maps to Denmark and Greece, giving users access to more map details alongside features like Look Around.
According to its announcement, the expansion of the new maps will offer “more accurate navigation, detailed bicycle directions, detailed views of roads, buildings, parks and airports as well as three-dimensional sights.”
The improvement covers the application of natural language to the directions Maps will provide. For instance, instead of suggesting to make a direction turn after certain measurements (e.g., 200 feet), Maps will now offer instructions that sound more human and relatable (e.g., “Turn left at the next traffic lights”).
On the other hand, given the popularity of bikes in Denmark, dedicated bicycle directions in Maps will be beneficial to users. According to Apple, Maps will provide step-by-step directions with cycle paths, cycle-friendly roads, and other helpful details such as the nearest toilets.
“With bicycle directions in Maps, users can see a preview of the climb on a route, as well as whether the route includes roads with a lot of traffic so that they can best avoid steep hills or heavily traveled roads,” Apple’s announcement for Denmark bicycle users reads. “They can also see information about the increase in real-time, search for e.g. public toilets or bicycle workshops along the route and see a route map or a list of turns, all while following turn-by-turn directions.”
Apple is also bringing its Look Around feature to Maps users in Denmark and Greece, giving them interactive street-level images for a better understanding of certain places. The effort is expected to help users view more information about the country’s tourist attractions by enabling 360-degree panoramic views. This means users in Greece and Denmark can also see landmarks to help them get better orientations when navigating to their destinations.
Justin O’Beirne, former head of cartography for Apple, has recently shared that this is the 20th expansion of Apple Maps, making the app’s in-house map data reach a total of 35 countries. According to his blog, Apple Maps data now comprise 20.3% of Earth’s land area, 11.8% of the global population, and the entirety of Continental Europe’s western half.
As per O’Beirne, Mexico and Thailand might be the next countries to experience the Maps expansion. “As of October 2023, there are just six countries that have been surveyed by Apple but haven’t yet been released as a map expansion: Brazil, India, Japan, Mexico, Thailand, and the U.A.E,” O’Beirne wrote. “Of these six countries, only Mexico and Thailand have had all of their internal regions visited by Apple—so these are the likeliest countries for Apple’s next expansion.”
