Google is adding “photorealistic aerial photos” to nearly 100 landmarks in Google Maps, the company announced Wednesday. The views, which remind me of Apple Maps’ Flyover feature, give you an overview of points of interest in cities like Barcelona, ​​London, New York, San Francisco and Tokyo, according to Google.
You can get an idea of ​​what the new aerial photos look like in this GIF from the company:
The aerial photos are a “first step” toward launching the “immersive display” the company showcased at Google I/O, according to a blog post by Amanda Leicht Moore, product director of Google Maps. Immersive view also includes interior views and information such as traffic and weather layered on the map, explains Google spokesperson Genevieve Park The edge. At I/O, Google said immersive rendering would be rolled out in Los Angeles, London, New York, San Francisco and Tokyo “later this year.”
In addition to the aerial photos, Google is bringing a few other new features to Maps. For bike routes, you can see additional information, such as whether a specific road you need to travel on is a major or minor road, whether your route includes stairs or steep hills, and whether you could be heavily affected by traffic. And if someone has shared their location with you, you can receive notifications when they reach or leave a location. Apple offers a similar feature with the Find My app.
The new aerial images and location sharing notifications are now rolling out globally on iOS and Android, Moore said. The updated cycling route information will be launched in the “coming weeks”.