“Apple is reportedly deploying a new vehicle, the Subaru Impreza hatchback, to its fleet of vehicles driving the world to collect first-party Maps data,” Roger Fingas reports for AppleInsider.
“Marked white Imprezas have been seen around Los Angeles, according to Business Insider,” Fingas reports. “Although the cars are smaller, they’re also distinguished by a new, extremely tall sensor rig, presumably housing standard equipment such as cameras and LIDAR.”
‘Until now Apple has been relying on minivans. The Maps recon fleet is notably separate from the Lexus SUVs Apple has deployed for its self-driving car program.”
Read more, and see the photo, in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: 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.
More info about where Apple will be driving their vehicles next here.
I have my second white Subaru Forester, a 2015 model with Carplay. Subaru rocks in my humble opinion.
Might be worth chcking the suspension then, that’s not normal behaviour.
Saw the TomTom Subaru version yesterday in Colorado with a different sensor then the above article. Are Apple Maps and TomTom separate entities now?
By the headline I thought Apple was using new consumer-purchased Subaru vehicles to collect data.
Waste of billions. I take no pleasure in saying this, but reality rules. Google maps in my testing is more accurate and Street View is absolutely awesome. If Apple is not going to monetize Maps like the Google model, then what’s the point of spending all that money? It would be better spent making EVERY MAC COMPUTER the most powerful, the most upgradable, and God forbid the LEAST EXPENSIVE to put all PCs that are now leading to shame. Look at the billions wasted on crappy headphones, intelligent insulting mindless free programming and me too Maps. Get with smart priorities, Apple …
I disagree, at least in my experience. I live 3 miles down a dirt road (that’s been around for 150 years), and while none of the mapping services are fully accurate about my address, google’s is about the worst, putting me 2 miles east of where I actually am. Apple’s is the closest, putting me about half a mile past my address, which I think is better, because at least you’ll see my place before realizing it’s not accurate.
I shouldn’t bother if someone is that out of touch with the realities of mapping and its importance to every aspect of Apples future business simple logic is going to get nothing but disdain I’m afraid. Google would pretty much have a headlock on Apples future if they took his advice and any claim to respect privacy a sham. Whatever one might think of Cook thankfully he is not that stupid and understands the fundmental priority here.
Ron, good to hear Apple worked for your rural address. I have so many examples of just the opposite I lost count. My favorite is locating a beverage store in my hometown. Google pinpoints exactly while Apple cannot locate it. The business has been open for decades. No one can discount the awesome value of Street View. That said, I will keep an open mind and test drive Apple Maps when upgraded…
It’s interesting that Subaru has about the worst CarPlay support. When my wife bought an Outback a few years ago, Subaru was the only brand she looked at that didn’t support CarPlay. When I looked last year, only a few Subaru models had it (I got a Honda).