Apple has purchased online mapping service Hopstop, in an effort to improve its mapping service for mobile devices.
Apple is continuously trying to improve its mapping service, a flaw in the company's profile since its launch in 2012's iOS 6. The tech giant relied on Google Maps until its new operating system debuted in iPhone 5. But the failure of the maps to provide accurate and full directions resulted in users choosing third-party navigational apps for transit directions. Of late, the Cupertino-based company has acquired two online mapping services to improve its navigational service.
Apple confirmed the purchase of Locationary, a Toronto-based startup location data company, Friday. On the same day, the acquisition of a New York-based HopStop was confirmed by Apple, a report from Bloomberg said. But the company refrained from disclosing any details and the purpose of the purchase.
"Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans," Kristin Huguet, an Apple spokeswoman told NY Times.
Initially Apple suffered a major breakdown with its mapping feature on new iPhones with iOS 6, giving people wrong directions and displaying strange satellite images. This led to a public apology from the company's CEO, Tim Cook, last September and users were advised to go in for other navigational apps including Google Maps. Apple's latest acquisitions are mostly a part of its efforts to build more reliable mapping services for its valued customers.
Hopstop is an online mapping service founded in 2005, giving public transport directions. This will help Apple to integrate the transit directions into its maps. Android and iOS apps for Hopstop are available on Play Store and App Store respectively. It gives detailed subway, bus and taxi directions in 600 cities, including New York, Moscow and Paris.
Apple has not revealed its plans about the Android version of the app after its acquisition but does not seem as good news for Android users of the app considering the past behavior. Apple completely wiped out its Android version of a search and discovery service, Chomp, last year, after acquiring it.
