Apple Maps to Finally Get Transit Directions in iOS 8?

Apple is readying a new and improved version of its Maps app for iOS 8 that offers transit directions, reports 9to5Mac.

Eddy Cue, Craig Federighi, and Maps head Patrice Gautier have been busy leading teams to make improvements to Maps following its shaky launch which led to the ousting of Scott Forstall and Richard Williamson.

Apple has made numerous mapping acquisitions since the launch of Maps including the purchase of Broadcom, Embark, Hopstop, Locationary and more.


The acquisitions are being used to help enhance data making it more reliable. The app will also get new points of interest and new labels to make places easier to find. In addition, cartography design has reportedly been tweaked with a cleaner look and to make streets more visible.

The most important addition to Maps will be public transit directions. Maps will reportedly be able to display train, subway, and bus data for major cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York. Eventually support for the feature will expand to other locations around the United States and potentially to other countries as well.

Transit directions will be embedded into Maps as both an option in the classic Directions panel and as a new mapping view. In the Directions view, transit will be an option alongside Driving and Walking. In the viewing options menu, a way to clearly view train stations, airports, and bus stops will be an option alongside the Standard, Hybrid, and Satellite views. While Apple will now have its own transit functionality, the Maps application will still be able to point users to App Store apps for additional transit-infused software.

The image below shows a mockup of what transit directions in Maps is expected to look like. A translucent panel slides up with a list of possible routes. The icon of each route listed denotes the method of transportation. The transit view shows a split screen view of the map at the top and the routes below. Users can choose to depart immediately or set a time for future travel and receive directions for use at that time. Those who use public transportation frequently will be able to set it as the default method of travel.


Apple is also said to be working on ways of integrating indoor mapping and enhanced car integration for Maps. For example, a source tells the site that Apple has started working on an augmented reality function that uses the iPhone's compass to visually see nearby points of interest.

More details at the link below...

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