Google Maps: Here are five things we'd like to see at Google IO.
Google Maps, like Google itself, has become something of a cultural symbol. Years of frequent updates, best-in-class attention to consistent maps, and an overall nice UI have earned it this distinction. However, if competitors such as Apple Maps begin to compete, Google will need to upgrade the experience to remain ahead.
A healthy, competitive environment is also the most effective means of ensuring that all competitors thrive and prosper. Because Google is still the undisputed king of maps, it must go all out to demonstrate why.
Fortunately, with Google IO approaching, now is the ideal moment to tease some new features and reasons to return. Here are five things I'd want to see added to Google Maps and why I think they'd be beneficial.
Improved Trip History
Though it already provides a basic version, a more detailed and fleshed-out journey history might greatly improve the overall experience of using Google Maps. I've taken an unfamiliar path more than a few times just to discover how beneficial it is.
Google Maps will not assist me if I wish to return and utilise it again. It approximately pings places on the map where you've gone, but it doesn't inform you about your routes or modes of transportation. If you could even keep track of your own experiences to go back to later, it would be really beneficial to the way I approach maps. Also, although it can show you buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation, it isn't particularly good at logging them. Optionally, keeping a running journal of what you've used might be quite beneficial to overall use.
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Routes to Take
When I'm trying out a new route for the first time, I might feel a little nervous. The ability to plan your route and compare it to weather and traffic data might be quite useful the night before a large journey.
This might include everything from deciding where to have lunch to calculating how long the journey would take, taking into consideration breaks, or making a refuelling stop. You may be able to substitute your own timings for those items and depend on the travel guidance for the remainder.
Furthermore, this might go hand in hand with the ability to plan vacations. With Google Docs, you could theoretically give the basic bones of your idea to someone else who may modify it or recommend adjustments.
Instead of four voices expressing various things on the morning of the travel, this may enable a group of individuals to plan beforehand.
Better concentrate on excursions that do not need the use of a vehicle.
Google Maps has been predominantly driven by automotive usage since its beginnings. This makes logical given how it gathers map data, but it doesn't mean we can't ask for something a little more nuanced.
Many little roads and trails are overlooked if you live in the middle of nowhere, putting some of the greatest alternatives out of reach. This is an ambitious goal, but Jen Fitzpatrick, Google Maps' mapping head, declared a desire to concentrate on non-car usage just two years ago.
She commended the use of machine learning and automation in the creation of maps, stating that it has the potential to transform the way maps are created. Users of Google Maps becoming increasingly acclimated to using it for various modes of transportation will only help it advance.
Uses of its map technology that are more intelligent
This is a continuation of the previous point. Google Maps is a fantastic piece of software that assists millions of people in reaching their destinations.
However, the more you travel away from major centres, the more unreliable your experience becomes. It would be wonderful to see a bit more attention paid to the less crowded cities and villages, from mistimed buses to erroneous routes.
Of course, this requires a firm to concentrate less on where its greatest customers are, but when using Google Maps, you want a well-rounded, consistent experience on the move. It works really well right now, but it could always be improved.
Pins with a Personal Touch
Apple Maps benefits greatly from its integration with the Apple ecosystem. It connects to everything you own when you use it. You may personalise your experience so that it remembers you and syncs with all of your devices in the future.
The ability to add custom pins and tags to Google Maps would be a terrific addition that fits in well with the overall aim of this list. A more comprehensive approach to Google Maps might make the whole experience a bit simpler and, more crucially, more useful.
The whole programme would be more helpful if you could create unique destinations, ping them to your pals, and plan out your journeys properly.
It's unclear what we'll see at Google I/O in a few weeks, but the business is known for experimenting with novel ideas. Hopefully, we'll get to see at least one of these things soon.
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