Apple Maps Thread - iOS 15

[BeauGiles]

Updated wiki with NZ release details and link. Apple also mentions that AR directions are available for Auckland and Wellington.
(Still missing in Sydney & Melbourne, Australia despite being mentioned as coming this year... at launch last year!)

https://www.apple.com/nz/newsroom/2022/07/apple-rolls-out-all-new-map-across-new-zealand/

 

[improvemaps]

Updated wiki with NZ release details and link. Apple also mentions that AR directions are available for Auckland and Wellington.
(Still missing in Sydney & Melbourne, Australia despite being mentioned as coming this year... at launch last year!)

https://www.apple.com/nz/newsroom/2022/07/apple-rolls-out-all-new-map-across-new-zealand/

From the press release:

“Three-dimensional cities for users to explore, with unprecedented details for neighbourhoods, commercial districts, marinas, buildings and more. Now users can see elevation details across a city, new road labels and custom-designed landmarks in cities around the world, including London; Los Angeles; Montreal; Paris; Philadelphia; San Diego; San Francisco; Vancouver; Washington, DC; and more.”

Sounds like Apple is talking about the detailed city experience? And they mention Paris. Odd since they didn’t mention Paris at WWDC when they listed the cities that were getting the detailed city experience later this year.

 

[one more]

How accurate are Apple Maps displayed speed limits for you?

We have just had them for about two weeks here in France and in some areas they are very accurate, but then on the highways/motorways they show 90 km/h instead of 110 or 130.

So quite a random accuracy at the moment. Does anyone know how this data is fed into Maps? Is it Apple Maps vehicles that literally “read” the speed limit signs as they drive along, or…?

 

[Canyda]

How accurate are Apple Maps displayed speed limits for you?

We have just had them for about two weeks here in France and in some areas they are very accurate, but then on the highways/motorways they show 90 km/h instead of 110 or 130.

So quite a random accuracy at the moment. Does anyone know how this data is fed into Maps? Is it Apple Maps vehicles that literally “read” the speed limit signs as they drive along, or…?

I live in Canada, and my feeling is they were accurate to when the road was last surveyed by one of Apple's mapping cars.

To wit - there is a section of a road in Edmonton where I live that is 60 kmh. But apparently the road was being redone when Apple mapped it, and Apple Maps displays a 30 kmh speed limit for a multi-block section of it, despite the road signs indicating the actual speed.

 

[G1Ravage]

I believe the speed signs are picked up by the Apple Maps vehicles and more or less automatically applied.

In New York City, they’re generally very accurate, even changing just as you pass the first sign with the new speed limit on it.

 

[G1Ravage]

So iOS 15.6 came out a few days ago, and didn’t improve anything in CarPlay on my end.

 

[BBDDVV]

How accurate are Apple Maps displayed speed limits for you?

We have just had them for about two weeks here in France and in some areas they are very accurate, but then on the highways/motorways they show 90 km/h instead of 110 or 130.

So quite a random accuracy at the moment. Does anyone know how this data is fed into Maps? Is it Apple Maps vehicles that literally “read” the speed limit signs as they drive along, or…?

I have the same experience in the south of France: local roads very accurate ‘when they’re shown in CarPlay’: sometimes on a stretch of road it doesn’t display any limit (mostly beween villages).
On highways I have the feeling that more often than not they’re off…

 

[MozMan68]

Speed limits are one of those things I naturally check constantly....I see the sign coming up and I stare at Maps as I pass it to watch it change (out of the corner of my eye in a very safe manner of course... ).

I find it VERY accurate in my experience, but I think there is a mix of what the Apple Car reads and data received by the government where available. Not sure if Apple defaults to the Apple Car data, but it seems that way IMHO. And like the examples given above, the limit probably changed after the car was there AND governments are probably slow to update those changes to third party mapping companies.

 

[one more]

Speed limits are one of those things I naturally check constantly....I see the sign coming up and I stare at Maps as I pass it to watch it change (out of the corner of my eye in a very safe manner of course... ).

I find it VERY accurate in my experience, but I think there is a mix of what the Apple Car reads and data received by the government where available. Not sure if Apple defaults to the Apple Car data, but it seems that way IMHO. And like the examples given above, the limit probably changed after the car was there AND governments are probably slow to update those changes to third party mapping companies.

That makes sense, as when there are roadworks on the local highways the speed limits indeed get dropped down from 130 to 110, 90 or even 70 km/h.

Do we know how frequently Apple cars re-check the same routes?

Another way for Apple to get the speed limits right would be analysing the real speed data from all the cars travelling with iPhones in them. Say, if there are 100 cars per day passing a particular stretch of the road at a speed between 120-130 km/h, the speed limit there is likely to be 130. This should be simpler, as they already do this to display traffic delays & jams.

To be seen…

 

[MozMan68]

Another way for Apple to get the speed limits right would be analysing the real speed data from all the cars travelling with iPhones in them. Say, if there are 100 cars per day passing a particular stretch of the road at a speed between 120-130 km/h, the speed limit there is likely to be 130. This should be simpler, as they already do this to display traffic delays & jams.

To be seen…

Based on my experience, I doubt that would be very accurate as no one ever seems to be going the speed limit. Either 10 above or 10 below...hah!

 

[one more]

Based on my experience, I doubt that would be very accurate as no one ever seems to be going the speed limit. Either 10 above or 10 below...hah!

Yeah, but this is what Apple’s famous AI is for, to gauge the average.

Remember one of Apple’s presentations years ago, saying they would not even need to drive around as much any more, analysing iPhone fed data instead?

 

[gwhizkids]

Based on my experience, I doubt that would be very accurate as no one ever seems to be going the speed limit. Either 10 above or 10 below...hah!

Yeah I doubt they are using AI for this. Like you, I frequent watch the change occur. It’s usually less than a second after passing the sign with the new speed. If they were using car speed, it would take longer as cars do not instantaneously increase speed from, say 45 to 60 mph. Also I don’t think there is an even distribution of vehicles above and below the speed limit.

They are doing it the “old fashioned” eyeball way and reacting to the sun as seen in the feeds from their mapping vehicles. They may also be getting data from state Highway departments for major highways via GIS dumps.

 

[s0ur_lemon]

Yeah I doubt they are using AI for this. Like you, I frequent watch the change occur. It’s usually less than a second after passing the sign with the new speed. If they were using car speed, it would take longer as cars do not instantaneously increase speed from, say 45 to 60 mph. Also I don’t think there is an even distribution of vehicles above and below the speed limit.

They are doing it the “old fashioned” eyeball way and reacting to the sun as seen in the feeds from their mapping vehicles. They may also be getting data from state Highway departments for major highways via GIS dumps.

Google is experimenting with AI detection of road speed changes (but then using a third party for confirmation):

How AI and imagery build a self-updating map

Learn how Google Maps is using advancements in AI and imagery to help you see the latest information about your world every single day.

blog.google

 

[one more]

Google is experimenting with AI detection of road speed changes (but then using a third party for confirmation):

How AI and imagery build a self-updating map

Learn how Google Maps is using advancements in AI and imagery to help you see the latest information about your world every single day.

blog.google

Google write that they still rely on road-sign photos. This is not optimal, as illustrated in my example, when an Apple car must have driven along the highway during the repair works period, so captured the temporary reduced speed limits instead of the usual ones.

Realistically, I do not think we can expect Apple cars to drive the same road stretches frequently. However, Apple could (and should, IMHO) use iPhone data to gauge the average travelling speed and match it to the set national limits. Say, if the speed limit can vary between 110 and 130 km/h on a highway, it should be quite easy for them to pull the correct data within 24 hours and update the speed limit on the fly?

 

[MozMan68]

Google write that they still rely on road-sign photos. This is not optimal, as illustrated in my example, when an Apple car must have driven along the highway during the repair works period, so captured the temporary reduced speed limits instead of the usual ones.

Realistically, I do not think we can expect Apple cars to drive the same road stretches frequently. However, Apple could (and should, IMHO) use iPhone data to gauge the average travelling speed and match it to the set national limits. Say, if the speed limit can vary between 110 and 130 km/h on a highway, it should be quite easy for them to pull the correct data within 24 hours and update the speed limit on the fly?

They do that in a sense. As they stated when new Maps was released a few years ago, they are using that data anonymously to determine closed roads they may have missed or other issues like an accident or construction zone via multiple phones not routing as expected or all slowing down in the same area. It's just that speed limits are SO defined by a set line in the sand as to where they start and end...and it isn't always clear from signs, so they are doing their best with both government submitted data as well as their own photos to determine where limits start and end.

I think you underestimate how much the "average" speed in any area isn't really that close to the actual speed limit...only on highways would this be anywhere near the accurate posting due to (hopefully) lack of traffic, stop signs and traffic lights (and turns...and slowing down behind people who are turning....and crosswalks....and....)

 

[one more]

I think you underestimate how much the "average" speed in any area isn't really that close to the actual speed limit...only on highways would this be anywhere near the accurate posting due to (hopefully) lack of traffic, stop signs and traffic lights (and turns...and slowing down behind people who are turning....and crosswalks....and....)

Yes. Currently in France it is the highways that have more problems with speed limits, with smaller country roads often getting it much more accurate.

 

[BSben]

Lookaround seems now available in Germany for the whole country

 

[Dunk the Lunk]

That makes sense, as when there are roadworks on the local highways the speed limits indeed get dropped down from 130 to 110, 90 or even 70 km/h.

Do we know how frequently Apple cars re-check the same routes?

Another way for Apple to get the speed limits right would be analysing the real speed data from all the cars travelling with iPhones in them. Say, if there are 100 cars per day passing a particular stretch of the road at a speed between 120-130 km/h, the speed limit there is likely to be 130. This should be simpler, as they already do this to display traffic delays & jams.

To be seen…

This could work in certain scenarios. A very busy section of the M4 motorway in the UK (around Newport in south Wales) has been permanently reduced from 70 to 50mph and average speed cameras have been fitted. This happened in March 2021 so well over a year ago now (and parts had been temporarily reduced earlier). Given the precedence of the speed cameras the vast vast majority of the traffic is travelling at around 50 so Apple must have masses of data (I’ve probably driven it at least 50 times myself!) showing that traffic is always running at a much slower speed than 70. I’m not saying Apple should automatically change the speed limit based on this but it could provide an accurate ‘trigger’ in investigate/resurvey. If they looked at the local jurisdictions website they would be able to see this has happened and then send someone out to map the exact area.

 

[Speedman100]

This could work in certain scenarios. A very busy section of the M4 motorway in the UK (around Newport in south Wales) has been permanently reduced from 70 to 50mph and average speed cameras have been fitted. This happened in March 2021 so well over a year ago now (and parts had been temporarily reduced earlier). Given the precedence of the speed cameras the vast vast majority of the traffic is travelling at around 50 so Apple must have masses of data (I’ve probably driven it at least 50 times myself!) showing that traffic is always running at a much slower speed than 70. I’m not saying Apple should automatically change the speed limit based on this but it could provide an accurate ‘trigger’ in investigate/resurvey. If they looked at the local jurisdictions website they would be able to see this has happened and then send someone out to map the exact area.

Wow, average speed cameras. That sounds horrible, and they must be pretty unpopular. I’m glad I’ve never come across a system like that. Although, thinking about it, there are instances where I imagine such a system would actually be helpful despite the annoyance of being constantly monitored.

 

[BSben]

I checked loads of random villages, towns and cities, it is fair to say lookaround is now active for Germany countrywide.

 

[Dunk the Lunk]

Wow, average speed cameras. That sounds horrible, and they must be pretty unpopular. I’m glad I’ve never come across a system like that. Although, thinking about it, there are instances where I imagine such a system would actually be helpful despite the annoyance of being constantly monitored.

I think they’re pretty much just accepted here by most people in the UK. I certainly don’t have a massive problem with them, especially the aforementioned ones on the M4 where I can see there are clearly safety and pollution (it’s a very built up area) issues.

We do also have variable speed limits here complete with speed cameras, which are more of a nuisance. The basic theory is that as the volume of traffic goes up the speed reduces which keeps it flowing (and safe). However the amount of time I’ve been driving along an almost deserted section of motorway with the speed still set to 50 or 60 (or even 40 occasionally) makes me wonder about them. From an Apple Maps perspective it massively frustrates me that it shouts out ‘70mph camera ahead’ but the limit is variable (and could be anything). It really should say ‘variable speed camera ahead, watch your speed’. They really should have factored it in.

 

[G1Ravage]

Something is happening behind the scenes. Highway shields seem to have a different font, and some are redesigned. I had complained to Apple that some of the New York-area parkway shields had vanished more than a month ago. One returned today with a completely new design that more closely matches its real life counterparts.

Old:

New:

And some other oddities:

 

[G1Ravage]

I’m still unhappy with the current camera zoom and POI text size on CarPlay. But this is hot:

Only possible because I was going over a bridge that had a full 3D model, and exiting right after it, which puts you into junction view.

Some other weirdness lately…there are completely different designs now for parkway shields between the main map and the directions box. I think Apple might be confused, because New York City remade the parkway shields into a new black on white design that echoes imagery of that parkway’s namesake, while New York State uses the standard white on green shields. I wonder if, when Apple (or their AI?) analyzes new vehicle footage, does it automatically draw their attention to different signs or features from the last batch?

Also, all of a sudden, my Apple Watch is no longer displaying certain highway shields anymore. Instead, it just spells it out.

 

[one more]

Some other weirdness lately…there are completely different designs now for parkway shields between the main map and the directions box.

The same happens in France, while using the CarPlay. In the main window the road markings have new styles, but in the black directions box they are still old.

 

[G1Ravage]

Shields are working on my Apple Watch again.