Apple's 3D Maps and Imagery See Incremental Improvements - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple's 3D Maps and Imagery See Incremental Improvements

Following last week's open letter from Tim Cook in which he promised that Apple "will keep working non-stop" until the iOS 6 Maps app meets customers' standards for quality, Apple has indeed been making improvements to the service. While there is certainly a ways to go, it is clear that the company is indeed moving quickly to address issues and improve coverage for the flagship 3D mapping and imagery features in the app.

While improvements have been ongoing, MacRumors forum members yesterday began noticing what appears to be a larger set of additions to the 3D content in the Maps app, including both the satellite/aerial imagery and the standard maps. One region that was among the first to be noticed was the New York City area, with a number of improvements including new 3D imagery of the Statue of Liberty being seen.

statue of liberty flyover
Old (left) and new (right) Flyover images of the Statue of Liberty

We've also heard from users who have experienced new Flyover imagery showing up in Honolulu, Hawaii and in the San Fernando Valley in the Los Angeles area. The changes are also affecting the standard vector-based maps as well, with users reporting new 3D buildings showing up in New York City and London.

Interestingly, not all users are seeing the new imagery, with some even doing side-by-side comparisons between devices with different results. The difference is presumably due to aggressive caching of maps and imagery, and users who are not yet seeing the new imagery should see updates in the relatively near future.

Popular Stories

M5 MacBook Pro

RIP, MacBook Ultra

Monday October 19, 2026 9:37 am PDT by
Apple today sent out invites for an experience in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 28, and the "Pro and tell" tagline on the invitation likely means that the rumored MacBook models with touch-enabled OLED displays will stick with MacBook Pro branding instead of the once-rumored "MacBook Ultra" name. The long-rumored "iPhone Ultra" ended up being named iPhone Duo, so speculation that Apple...
iPhone Duo Trio

Here's What Apple's Apps Look Like on the iPhone Duo

Tuesday October 20, 2026 11:12 am PDT by
With just three days to go until the iPhone Duo is released, Apple is getting ready for the launch. Behind the scenes, the App Store now has screenshots of Apple's built-in apps running on the Duo. We've seen some apps in marketing materials, but images of the ones we haven't seen give us an idea of what it will be like using the iPhone Duo day to day. Many apps are shown in landscape...
apple pro tell logo

Apple Announcing New Products Next Week: 'Pro and Tell'

Monday October 19, 2026 9:05 am PDT by
Apple's Greg Joswiak today hinted at new product announcements coming next week, sharing a social media post that says "Can't wait to pro and tell next week." Rumors suggest Apple is planning to debut the new MacBook Pro with an OLED touchscreen display, an M6 entry-level MacBook Pro, an M6 iMac, an iPad mini with an OLED display. Can't wait to pro and tell next week....

Top Rated Comments

183 months ago
As I have been saying since before Maps was even announced... (If they do announce the app), it will take some time for it to become better than Google Maps. Thanks for the continuous improvements. :apple:
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
183 months ago
As much as I think this whole Maps thing is ridiculously overblown, it is pretty insane that Apple didn't have major national landmarks rendering correctly at launch...
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sishaw Avatar
183 months ago
This is not what they need to be working on first...

This is just bells and whistles, Apple needs to fix the incorrect locations and missing POIs first.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
183 months ago
So the Statue of Liberty is rendered slightly better and the rest of the world still looks like this:



This is not an improvement, this is fiddling while Rome burns.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cyks Avatar
183 months ago
Fixing the 3D maps and adding additional POI is all fine and dandy, but I'd rather they tackle the wrong streets and addresses.

It's an inconvenience if I were to search for a store and it didn't show up, but I could still open Safari, do a web search, and find out it's physical address.

It's a serious problem when that address takes me to the wrong spot.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
appleguy123 Avatar
183 months ago
As I have been saying since before Maps was even announced... (If they do announce the app), it will take some time for it to become better than Google Maps. Thanks for the continuous improvements. :apple:

If only Apple had an entire year left in which they could use Google map tiles while developing their own solution... :rolleyes:
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Tesla App Gains iPad and iPhone Duo Support
Tesla App Gains iPad and iPhone Duo Support
2 hours ago
Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone Duo Orders by 44%
Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone Duo Orders by 44%
3 hours ago
Fortnite Returning to Australian App Store After Court Ruling
Fortnite Returning to Australian App Store After Court Ruling
3 hours ago
Apple Ordered to Open iPhone to Rival App Stores in Australia
Apple Ordered to Open iPhone to Rival App Stores in Australia
4 hours ago
Apple Suppliers Face Hurdles Cutting Circuit Board Emissions
Apple Suppliers Face Hurdles Cutting Circuit Board Emissions
4 hours ago
Things Updated for iPhone Duo With Adaptive Layout
Things Updated for iPhone Duo With Adaptive Layout
4 hours ago
Simplicity and Siri AI Are HomeView's Killer Features, Apple Says
Simplicity and Siri AI Are HomeView's Killer Features, Apple Says
5 hours ago
iPhone Duo Reviewers Really Miss Face ID
iPhone Duo Reviewers Really Miss Face ID
10 hours ago
Does the iPhone Duo Run Hot? Here's What Reviews Found
Does the iPhone Duo Run Hot? Here's What Reviews Found
11 hours ago
Apple Music's New Look is Now Live on Apple's Website
Apple Music's New Look is Now Live on Apple's Website
12 hours ago
Anthropic Launches Claude Duet, a Proactive AI Agent
Anthropic Launches Claude Duet, a Proactive AI Agent
12 hours ago
What 32,000 Folds Did to the iPhone Duo's Hinge
What 32,000 Folds Did to the iPhone Duo's Hinge
13 hours ago
iPhone Duo's Hidden FaceTime Camera Takes 'Trash' Photos
iPhone Duo's Hidden FaceTime Camera Takes 'Trash' Photos
15 hours ago
iPhone Duo Has 'Edge Light' Feature That Debuted on Macs Last Year
iPhone Duo Has 'Edge Light' Feature That Debuted on Macs Last Year
15 hours ago
Apple Support App Updated for iPhone Duo's Larger Display
Apple Support App Updated for iPhone Duo's Larger Display
15 hours ago
Amazon Sweetens the Deal on Entry-Level 16-Inch MacBook Pro With $570 Off
Amazon Sweetens the Deal on Entry-Level 16-Inch MacBook Pro With $570 Off
16 hours ago
iPhone Duo Tips Over on MagSafe Stands When Unfolded
iPhone Duo Tips Over on MagSafe Stands When Unfolded
16 hours ago
Apple Music's New Look Officially Announced
Apple Music's New Look Officially Announced
17 hours ago
iPhone Duo Supports Apple Pencil Starting With iOS 27.2
iPhone Duo Supports Apple Pencil Starting With iOS 27.2
18 hours ago
iPhone Duo Accessories Roundup: Cases and Screen Protectors From OtterBox, ZAGG, and More
iPhone Duo Accessories Roundup: Cases and Screen Protectors From OtterBox, ZAGG, and More
19 hours ago
Apple Stores Will Have 'Limited' Availability of iPhone Duo for Walk-In Customers
Apple Stores Will Have 'Limited' Availability of iPhone Duo for Walk-In Customers
19 hours ago
iPhone Duo Reviews Explain Why Device is Both 'Fun' and 'Frustrating'
iPhone Duo Reviews Explain Why Device is Both 'Fun' and 'Frustrating'
19 hours ago
Apple Says 'Reachability' Feature Coming to iPhone Duo Later This Year
Apple Says 'Reachability' Feature Coming to iPhone Duo Later This Year
20 hours ago
Loop Capital Cuts Apple Rating Over iPhone Sales Outlook
Loop Capital Cuts Apple Rating Over iPhone Sales Outlook
1 day ago
Apple Stores in Bordeaux and Lille Looted During French Protests
Apple Stores in Bordeaux and Lille Looted During French Protests
1 day ago
Bluesound Adds Native Apple Music Support
Bluesound Adds Native Apple Music Support
1 day ago
Apple CEO John Ternus Explains What Makes Good Product Design
Apple CEO John Ternus Explains What Makes Good Product Design
1 day ago
UK Proposes New Ways to Help Apple Pay Rivals
UK Proposes New Ways to Help Apple Pay Rivals
1 day ago
WhatsApp Developing In-App Browser for All Chat Links on iPhone
WhatsApp Developing In-App Browser for All Chat Links on iPhone
1 day ago
Apple's App Store Chief Explains Its Push for Premium Games
Apple's App Store Chief Explains Its Push for Premium Games
1 day ago