A new report today from Swedish news service Rapidus (via Tech.eu) claims that Apple has been quietly increasing its presence in Lund, Sweden with a focus on an "advanced mapping technology" that aims to further improve Apple Maps . The company is reportedly working out of a new R&D center in the city said to have launched last November.

ios9mapsnewfeatures

Now, a report from news agency Rapidus claims Apple has been quietly ramping up its operations in Lund, a city near Malmö in Sweden, where it is apparently working on 'advanced mapping technology'. Reports that Apple had set up a relatively secretive R&D center in Lund first surfaced in November last year, but it's always been unclear what was being worked on over there.

The news today points toward continued improvements for Apple Maps, which is currently seeing a significant amount of investment from Apple. The company has in recent months expanded its fleet of vans surveying streets around the United States and other countries with a variety of sensors. Apple confirmed over the summer that the data collected from the vehicles will be used to improve Apple Maps in the future, likely with street-level imagery similar to Google's Street View.

Top Rated Comments

Mavelous Avatar
126 months ago
Where are we in the whole "Apple Maps Data Needs Fixing" thing? I've used Maps as a SatNav since iOS 7 when I got my first iPhone, and have never had a problem with it.
Great. every time I use my maps app I'm gonna be led to IKEA
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thekeyring Avatar
126 months ago
Where are we in the whole "Apple Maps Data Needs Fixing" thing? I've used Maps as a SatNav since iOS 7 when I got my first iPhone, and have never had a problem with it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jsameds Avatar
126 months ago
A "Streetview from Apple" is what I'm waiting for.

I imagine it will be integrated with FlyOver for a seamless transition between maps and streetview, and that you'll be able to roam freely through the roads as opposed to teleporting from bubble to bubble as is the case with Google's.

It's gonna be so cool! :cool:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Keane16 Avatar
126 months ago
I am happy to see the continued investment in maps. Still I am curious why Sweden? Seems like a strange place to develop maps, but I guess, whatever.
The question should be why not Sweden. Excellent country, with a strong background in Tech and Science.

In particular Lund has an great research University which I imagine makes it a hotbed for talent? Just a guess though.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lund_University#Academics

"According to the book, The Flight of the Creative Class, by the U.S. urban studies, Professor Richard Florida ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Florida') of University of Toronto ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Toronto'), Sweden is ranked as having the best creativity ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creativity') in Europe for business and is predicted to become a talent magnet for the world's most purposeful workers. The book compiled an index to measure the kind of creativity it claims is most useful to business – talent, technology and tolerance"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Sweden

I'm glad Apple is expanding globally, with this and the R&D Center in Israel. Helps tap into local talent.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lincolntran Avatar
126 months ago
Great. every time I use my maps app I'm gonna be led to IKEA
Every time I looked for a Target near my house, Google Map takes me to a child care center. Google Map has taken me to wrong places in more times than I care to count. Apple Map has improved a lot since launch and I use it most of the time now.


I'd use Apple Maps if my address or even my street were on the map. 2 years of reporting the bug/error have got me nowhere.
I feel your pain. Other people has better luck with reporting in details like street address, gps location, etc. when sending in the bug.


A "Streetview from Apple" is what I'm waiting for.

I imagine it will be integrated with FlyOver for a seamless transition between maps and streetview, and that you'll be able to roam freely through the roads as opposed to teleporting from bubble to bubble as is the case with Google's.

It's gonna be so cool! :cool:
You know Apple, they try to provide a great experience while Google just throw a bunch of buttons and arrows together and call it a day.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2457282 Avatar
126 months ago
because Apple acquired a mapping company in sweden...?

http://9to5mac.com/2011/10/29/apple-acquired-mind-blowing-3d-mapping-company-c3-technologies-looking-to-take-ios-maps-to-the-next-level/
Thanks. I was not aware of the purchase, but that explains everything nicely.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...