The fundamental challenge in consumer mapping is that there is no perfect map - different users need different maps at different times.
The same problem existed with PCs and smartphones - Microsoft and Apple both created App Stores and development frameworks to provide users with the ability to customize their device.
Over the past few releases, Apple has been opening up the iOS ecosystem to allow individual apps to push data into central Apple-owned plugin points in order to support cross-app interoperability and improve the multi-app user experience. Features like Apple Wallet, Apple Health, and Live Activities all allow apps to deliver app-specific context into specific areas of the operating system and provide more seamless experiences.
So far, Apple Maps has mostly approached consumer mapping the way Google did, implementing a single lowest common denominator basemap and allowing applications to embed that base map inside of themselves. But as an ecosystem, there isn't a good way for apps to push application-specific content into Apple Maps. Supporting this would allow users to customize their own map dynamically and would prevent the need for Apple as an organization to maintain a single perfect master map to met the needs of all users - especially across different regions.
Simply by installing apps, users would get dynamic layers enabled on their maps so that specific places could get highlighted based on the application suite the user had chosen to install.
Imagine a world where a user could toggle between vector layers provided by Chase, American Express, Marriott, Hyatt, or Airbnb to choose a hotel when thinking about booking a trip. Or between Resi and OpenTable to see restaurants that had open reservations. Rather than relying on the integrations that Google or Apple had developed centrally, Apple Maps could automatically populate with all of the layers corresponding to the apps the user had already installed - customizing your iPhone’s Map would be as simple as installing an App ("Share with Apple Health"). And rather than having to switch between a bunch of different apps when planning a trip or meeting up with a friend or landing in a new location, app-specific context could be surfaced spatially, dynamically pushing more detailed information to users based on zoom level and live activities.
The core of this is two features: an extension of Live Activities called Live Layers which would allow an activity to represent moving objects + routes on the Apple Maps canvas, and a feature called App Layers for pushing POIs (or possibly basemaps) into the Map Canvas. The most extreme version would let users actually subscribe directly to basemaps, eliminating the need for Apple to maintain a central basemap and pushing everything into the Overture ecosystem - at this point, Apple Maps would simply provide scaffolding for spatial appmakers.
Imagine seeing your Uber car, DoorDash delivery and your husband’s shared Lyft ride all converging on a friend’s house for a birthday party! Imagine having your Lime scooter automatically populating with your hotel address, or using Handoff to send data directly from desktop / web to your iOS device for easy navigation.
Now imagine this as context for Apple Intelligence - allowing Siri to answer a whole host of critical “who, when and where” questions based on the live information flow into the on-device spatial intelligence engine. Imagine landing in a new airport, trying to get to a tight connection - maybe your United App could provide turn-by-turn Apple Maps directions based on LOD which was being dynamically injected by the United airport map. Or asking a HomePod when the food was arriving while you’re trying to prepare for a dinner party. Or using your Apple Watch to order a car to the airport while you’re frantically packing for an international trip. The background context being injected into a central Map is effectively identical to the user’s mental context - key information about their life which is critical for answering their most important questions.
From a developer perspective, iOS would be able to provide gazetteer elements which synced across apps, GERS-focused advertising (“AdSpots” vs “AdWords”) for spatial apps to bid on to drive app downloads, and to push users into a more app-friendly environment where incentives are more aligned (vs Google where the goal is to own the end-to-end experience and take a large cut via referrals and ads). It could be a big way to get the industry on board with trying to shift users en masse off of Google Maps.
