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Comment by leokennis | Hacker News Reader

If there's one product that showcases Google's strengths and Apple's weaknesses it's Street View.

Google has mapped/streetviewed the world twice over, producing useful photo's that help in navigation. And now is building a new camera so they can map the Amazon as well.

Meanwhile Apple is juuuuust about ready polishing and color grading their 20th run of 4K "Look Around" footage of 5th Avenue in New York, fingers crossed this time it will be production ready! You can expect footage of your medium-to-large city any decade now!

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Bold of you to claim that Gmaps is actually updated just because they say it is.

Brisbane (the Australia one) has a 3D satellite map from 2010 despite the 2022 copyright date on it. And if you walk along the street view images, it tends to tell you you’re currently viewing the underground tunnel you’re over rather than the surface street you’re actually looking at, which is a funny bug.

There must be something going on with the tunnels in Brisbane in google maps. I recently looked up directions to a restaurant in the valley and they were leading me to the clem 7 directly beneath it.

Just for the record, there are two dates: the copyright one (useless BTW) and data recording one.

Look Around is available on 20% of earth (area, not population) - most extreme example I can find is the middle of Australia: https://i.imgur.com/ZHYbh58.png

In the US, it's actually more limited than in other areas. It's certainly true that Google is ahead, sure - but Look Around isn't just 5th avenue of new york city.

One area lookaround does best is spatial navigation. You can click on bridges, lanes, etc. to jump to them and the animation is MUCH smoother than Google Maps.

I live in a small town and look around on Apple Maps is everywhere. What’s wrong with it in NY?

You don't think the fact that Google Maps had a 10 year lead makes a difference?

The initial iPhone was feature-poor, yet everybody seemed to love it (don't ask me why though).

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