Apple has started testing the updated Apple Maps design in three more countries. Based on the latest monitoring of Apple Maps enthusiast Justin O’Beirne, Cupertino has started testing the new design in Israel, Palestine and Saudi Arabia.
Apple Testing 16th Expansion of Updated Maps Design
In his latest post, O’Beirne said that Apple began testing its next Apple Maps design expansion on August 3, 2022. This will be the 16th expansion of the updated Apple Maps design. Apple starting pushing out the new Apple Maps design in 2020. The Cupertino-based company finished rolling it out in the U.S. the same year. Since, then it has expanded the design to more countries, outside the U.S.
So far, Apple has expanded the updated Maps design to Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Singapore, the U.K., Ireland, Spain, Portugal, and Italy. It added Apple Maps details in Monaco, Switzerland, and New Zealand in July.
New Features of Apple Maps
Testing of the updated Apple Maps design could last several weeks. After that, Apple will release an official update of Apple Maps, including the three new countries. Users will then be able to use new features of the new Apple Maps design in the included countries. These features include detailed views of roads and foliages, faster and more accurate navigation, 3D landmarks, and the Look Around feature. The new Apple Maps design will also have better views of parks, buildings, airports, and shopping centers.
As mentioned, this will be the sixteenth expansion of Apple’s new map data. With that, Israel, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia became the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth states to receive the updated map design. O’Beirne also noted that Palestinian areas have no POI labels and commercial corridors in the test maps. Additionally, Saudi Arabian maps do not yet have turn-by-turn directions.
The countries and territories that support the new map design are listed below:
- US
- UK
- Ireland
- Canada
- Spain
- Portugal
- Italy
- San Marino
- Vatican City
- Andorra
- Australia
- Germany
- Singapore
- France
- Monaco
- New Zealand
- Belgium
- Israel
- Liechtenstein
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Palestine
- Saudi Arabia