U.S. tech giant Apple will utilize 20 Hyundai Tucson cars to collect data in Vietnam to improve the Look Around feature.
Look Around is a technology featured in Apple Maps, enabling users to view 360° street-level imagery, with smooth transitions as the scene is navigated.
Apple has selected the Subaru Impreza, a compact car manufactured by Japanese automaker Subaru, for its mapping plans in many countries, while using the Hyundai Tucson, a compact crossover SUV produced by South Korean manufacturer Hyundai, in Vietnam.
According to several car groups on Facebook, Apple seemed to prepare for its plan to deploy a fleet of cars for the Look Around enhancements in Vietnam in July 2023.
Hyundai Truong Chinh in July last year held a car handover ceremony to deliver 20 Hyundai Tucson autos to Hertz Vietnam and Apple.
Hertz, a world-renowned American car rental company, entered the Vietnamese market in 2018.
In February, Apple unveiled detailed information about the vehicles that would be used to collect data in Vietnam on the Apple Maps website.
Hyundai Truong Chinh handed over 20 Hyundai Tucson cars to Hertz and Apple in July 2023. Photo: Hyundai Truong Chinh |
As scheduled, Apple will start its image collection in Vietnam’s southeast region this month.
It will continue the mapping plan in the north-central region on March 5 and the Red River Delta on March 8.
Its data collection is set to last for over seven months.
Apart from the presence of these cars, Apple will send many visitors carrying a backpack equipped with modern sensors to the Southeast Asian nation to gather data to support the Look Around feature, which functions similarly to Google Street View.
Google Street View, featured in Google Maps, has been available in Vietnam for several years.
Apple’s determination to improve and update Apple Maps in Vietnam is expected to bring advantages to the users of Apple devices in the nation.
Since 2012, Apple Maps has become a default map app on each iPhone or iPad.
The app underwent an upgrade in 2018 in response to many user complaints about its fidelity issues.
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