Strap on your e-wings: Apple has added 3D flyover to 16 more cities

Apple is continuing to update the functionality in its iOS Maps app, though the most significant changes may not be noticeable to all users. The Loop published a list of cities around the globe that saw expanded, updated, or just plain new 3D flyover support in the last few months, ranging from Indianapolis, IN to Lyon, France. For those iOS users who actually use flyover on a regular basis, the list is an encouraging sign that Apple is paying attention, though some of us wish the company would prioritize fixing some of its inaccurate mapping data.

The list of 16 locales that gained 3D flyover support includes Baltimore, Tulsa, the Hoover Dam, and Glasgow, Scotland. (I can't wait to zoom in and fly around the Hoover Dam every day before my morning commute.) The 14 places that saw expanded coverage are mostly European cities like Stockholm, London, Rome, Berlin, and Barcelona, though a couple US cities like Portland and Boston snuck in as well. The 12 cities receiving "updated 3D buildings for Standard view"—as well as turn-by-turn navigation—are all in Europe, covering places like Dublin, Copenhagen, Munich, and Milan. If you're looking for your specific city, it's worth checking out the full list at The Loop.

Whether these changes are significant enough to get users excited remains an open question, though. I don't know many iOS users who actually use the 3D flyover feature on a regular basis (I certainly don't), and when I performed an extremely unscientific survey on Twitter, only a handful of users reported using the feature. Still, those who do use it said they do so when they need a visual on where they're about to end up: for example, Jon Alper said he uses flyover when looking for smaller shops or possible parking, while Joel Parsons said he likes to use the feature to recognize where he's going when he gets there.

Apple's 3D flyover feature isn't the only thing that has been improved in Maps, though again, the other changes are local enough to only affect certain users. Japan, for example, now has toll road notifications and improved road pronunciation when using turn-by-turn directions. Maps in China has seen "reprioritized locations" so that more relevant places are shown first. Although it's easy to joke "people use Apple Maps?", almost a third of the 8,800+ who voted in our last survey said they are using it over the alternatives like Google Maps or Waze.