Apple Maps Expands 3D Street View Feature to Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.

[MacRumors]

As noted in the MacRumors forums, the new Look Around feature in Apple Maps recently went live in three more cities in the United States, including Boston, Philadelphia, and the Washington, D.C. area.

Introduced in iOS 13, Look Around is an interactive way to visually explore a city with 3D street-level imagery, similar to Google Street View. The feature is also available in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York City, Las Vegas, Houston, and the Hawaiian island of Oahu, with many more places to come.

In an area where Look Around is available, a binoculars icon will appear in the top-right corner of Apple Maps. Tapping that icon opens a street-level view in a card overlay at the top of the screen. Look Around also appears in the search results for a supported city, below the Flyover and Directions buttons.

When you're in Look Around mode, tapping on the display lets you move through the area, while tapping in a far off spot in the distance zooms in quickly in a smoother and more immersive way than Google Street View.

To help orient you in Look Around mode, points of interest such as bars, restaurants, parks and the like are identified by floating icons at street level. Note, however, that you can only zoom into areas that can be accessed by vehicles since the Look Around data is captured by cars fitted with 360-degree cameras.

Related: How to Use Look Around in Apple Maps

Article Link: Apple Maps Expands 3D Street View Feature to Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.

 

[r3econ]

Great quality. Much better than most of current Google Street View images. Funny thing that Google launched Street View in 2007. It took Apple 12 years to come up with something similar.

 

[Phillyfinest89]

Makes sense. In Philly now and it now shows the glasses. 👍🏽

 

[Mr. Awesome]

Finally! Hoping to see more new places added soon.

 

[furbzv1]

Boston!!

 

[Return Zero]

This is massively cool... except for the part where I don't live in a big city. Great for traveling though!

 

[bchery21]

With a radius that covers all the way out to Waltham it seems, nice!

 

[CarlJ]

Great quality. Much better than most of current Google Street View images. Funny thing that Google launched Street View in 2007. It took Apple 12 years to come up with something similar.

Uh, 12 years ago Apple wasn't in the mapping business.

How good were you at, say, reading or math, 5 years before you were born?

 

[itr81]

Apple should release a future map of all the cities being implemented for 2020.

 

[Rogifan]

Look around is so much better than Google Street view. But street view is everywhere and look around is only in a handful of big US cities.

 

[SidricTheViking]

I wonder how many people have tried (as I did when this was first launched) to use this feature in Satellite view (my preferred view). I searched through San Francisco, zooming in and out across the city...before I thought of trying Map view (and, later, Transport view). Actually, does anyone know why it doesn’t work in Satellite view?

 

[idrewuk]

Of course Street View is everywhere, they've been doing it forever. Look Around is only just rolling out! Honestly...!

 

[Zaft]

Apple came in very arrogant with their first maps apps. It’s good that they learned its not as easy it looks.

Apple Maps is so much better then before, but I do still use google and waze. I prefer the UI of Apple Maps but I don’t fully trust the data yet.

 

[CarlJ]

Good work, Apple. Now finish California.

 

[citysnaps]

Great quality. Much better than most of current Google Street View images. Funny thing that Google launched Street View in 2007. It took Apple 12 years to come up with something similar.

I suspect that has to do with Google and Apple's different business models. Google developed maps as a means to collect huge amounts of user data that could be used to sell ads, their core business, and thus was highly incentivized to get the ball rolling.

 

[oneMadRssn]

I just noticed this last night! The 3D effect is super cool.

 

[jeyf]

i wish they got a basics working better.

 

[Glideslope]

Nice. Can’t wait to try it out when in Boston next week. 👍👍

 

[ghanwani]

That's all cool, but when I search for A&A, why do I get results for Chick-Fil-A?

 

[MauiPa]

Great quality. Much better than most of current Google Street View images. Funny thing that Google launched Street View in 2007. It took Apple 12 years to come up with something similar.

Really amazing that google hasn’t improved the look, it’s kind of dated now

 

[MisterSavage]

Google street view is something I use all the time. Glad to see Apple expanding their version.

 

[chachawpi]

Heh, Apple Maps.

 

[AppleZilla]

Wow. Just checked. Works great. So much more better than the Mountain View Ad Company. No more Google street maps for me.

 

[Attirex]

FYI, I live about 15 miles from Boston and my house/neighborhood is part of Look Around, too, so seems like feature is enabled further out.

So that's exciting for....me? I guess.

...

 

[satchmo]

Great quality. Much better than most of current Google Street View images. Funny thing that Google launched Street View in 2007. It took Apple 12 years to come up with something similar.

In 2007, Apple was busy unveiling a transformative device that changed the way we live, all the while protecting our privacy.

Some might say Google has yet to come up with something similar. 😁