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| An upcoming Google Maps update will bring new features to the app. Photo: Reuters/Dado Ruvic |
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The team behind Google Maps appears to be working on new features and
some minor cosmetic changes for the app. A teardown of v9.72 beta
apparently uncovers several changes that will come with the latest
update.
According to Android Police,
the upcoming new version of Google Maps is going to bring a couple of
cosmetic changes and new features. Though none of them will greatly
impact the user interface, they are expected to enhance the experience
and make things a lot easier for users.
[post_ads]First up, the team is
changing the reporting feature of Maps. The app has been using a variety
of sources to deliver timely information on road closures and special
conditions, and the team is upgrading this system even more. The
teardown reveals that there’s going to be a new reporting interface that
will allow users to fill out more fields.
The additional fields
that will be added with the release of the new update are going to
require more useful information about closures. For example, users will
be asked to provide specific details about a closure, like the
directions that are affected by it (one way or both). There is also a
field that will ask about the reason behind the closure and the options
include a crash, local events, mudslides and many more.
Another
new field that is being added to the reporting feature will enable users
to indicate the start and end times for a closure. This is mostly
useful for closures due to parades or scheduled road work. With this,
more users will be aware on when’s the right time for them to use a
certain route.
The Google Maps team is also working on a new
feature that will indicate the occupancy of mass transit options. The
feature will present this via ratings that are based on the severity of
fullness: many seats available, few seats available, standing room only
and crushed standing room only.
What’s good about this new Maps
feature is the fact that it will inform users beforehand if they are
going to compete for limited space in a public transportation vehicle.
The warnings will definitely come in handy to people with physical
abilities, those who are carrying a lot of stuff or those with
claustrophobia.
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The teardown also reveals other tweaks, but
nothing big has been uncovered so far. So for the most part, the
upcoming Google Maps update will be a minor one. Users should expect
minor cosmetic changes, performance enhancements and bug fixes.
