Here's where Apple Maps vehicles are driving for Street View-like images
Expect to see more first-person imagery in Apple Maps, thanks to cars with cameras.
If that sounds like Street View in Google Maps, it should.
Apple's main mobile competitor has long done the same, allowing you to view mapped locations as if you were really there. Actually that description is more apt for virtual reality, but I have little doubt that's the next big thing for maps in the near future.
Apple's vehicles are on a public timetable, as noted by 9to5 Mac, which spotted a dedicated website where you can see the rough times and city level locations where cars with cameras are gathering pictures for future Apple Maps updates.
Apple says it will use the data in future versions of Maps and is conscious of privacy:
Apple is driving vehicles around the world to collect data which will be used to improve Apple Maps. Some of this data will be published in future Apple Maps updates.
We are committed to protecting your privacy while collecting this data. For example, we will blur faces and license plates on collected images prior to publication.
Currently, Apple Maps uses data from TomTom and other sources, so it's not clear if the company will supplement that data with its drive-by imagery or is actually working on its own independent mapping database.
When might Apple offer a first-person view in its Maps app? When iOS 9 arrives in a few months, it's a good possibility. Perhaps we'll see a hint of the functionality in beta versions of the software, which will be publicly available next month.