Apple Sending Vehicles To Photograph Streets in UK and Ireland

[engine]

In a move to improve Apple's Maps service, it's sending out a fleet of vehicles to the UK and Ireland. It's already been sending vehicles out in the US, and you can find the schedule here.

[maps.apple.com...]

Can it ever be as comprehensive as Google's Street View, or is it just aimed at certain locations?

Have you seen one of these vehicles already?

[keyplyr]

What do they look like?

[Leosghost]

[macrumors.com...]

Shiny..with rounded corners ;)
if they use the same ones that they use in the USA

[Leosghost]

I have to add..I prefer the camera height on the Apple car, used from a public street it is at about eye level, and will record what a human could see,.Unlike the cars that Google use which have the cameras high enough to see over 2 metre plus walls into private gardens and courtyards and properties, and into the first floor windows of some buildings in old towns in Europe.The Google cars used in Japan had to lower the height of their cameras for privacy reaons, but very many other countries should have insisted on cameras no higher than the eye level of a 6 foot ( 1.83 metres ) person for the same privacy reasons..

[keyplyr]

There was a very suspicious looking car parked in from of the school yard earlier today.

[engine]

We don't know they will use the same vehicles, but I would imagine it would follow the same format for the roof-mounted recording equipment.

I guess someone will spot a vehicle before too much longer.

Yes, that lower height is a more attractive option, from a privacy point of view.

I read that many people are suggesting that Apple is too late to the party on this. I disagree, we need competition, and it's clear that Apple has the financial muscle to carry out this work. I'd also like to see Microsoft compete on this, too. Why? As I said, we need competition, and Microsoft already has its maps, and it will make its maps more attractive to use. In addition, they have the finances. Whether they have the impetus to invest, I don't know.

[keyplyr]

I always enable Street View in my mobile devices (Android w/ Google Maps.) I play around with it at first, but in practice I rarely use the Street View mode since I am usually driving & using Maps for GPS navigation.

I use the Street View photos much more on the computer, researching business locations and their neighbors. It would be nice to have a couple more choices for this.

[engine]

Has anyone seen these vehicles in the UK? They look less obtrusive than Google's Street View vehicles.