Apple just released iOS 7.1 to the public on Monday but now it’s time to move on. We first saw details surrounding Apple’s upcoming iOS 8 update begin to trickle out last month, including the uncovering of a new Healthbook app that will see Apple’s mobile platform join the recent rush of fitness-related apps and features that are pouring into smartphones. Now, 9to5Mac is back with a report covering more new features set to arrive in Apple’s iOS 8 update later this year.
9to5Mac has a nearly flawless track record when it comes to reporting on Apple’s unannounced plans, and the blog on Tuesday revealed a number of new features and updates set to debut in iOS 8. According to the report, Apple’s new mobile software will focus heavily on improving the iOS Maps experience.
While Apple’s Maps app hasn’t been covered as widely recently, it still lags Google Maps in terms of accuracy and reliability. Readers might recall that Apple was widely criticized following the release of its mapping solution, which was riddled with bugs and nearly killed some people at one point.
9to5Mac reports that Apple’s updated mapping app in iOS 8 will feature better data and enhanced transit guidance courtesy of recent Apple acquisitions such as BroadMap, Embark and HopStop. Then, moving forward to iOS 9 and beyond, the report claims Apple is also working on adding some augmented reality features and indoor mapping.
Unless Apple decides to really change things up this year, we can expect the company to debut iOS 8 during its annual WWDC conference this summer. The first iOS 8 beta will likely be released to developers at that time, and then iOS 8 will probably be released to the public sometime in the fall alongside the launch of the new iPhone 6 and its iPhone phablet counterpart.
