New App Highlights Over 300 Custom-Designed 3D Landmarks in Apple Maps

Since the release of iOS 15 in 2021, Apple Maps has been rolling out a more detailed map with custom-designed landmarks in major cities around the world. The new "Detailed City Experience" is now available in Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto, and several other cities, with more to come.

Landmarks App
Montréal-based developers André Baev and Simon Gardinier recently released a new Landmarks app with a collection of over 300 of these 3D landmarks, ranging from the Royal Opera House in London to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The app is available on the App Store for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, and requires a device with an A12 chip or M1 chip and newer to properly display the 3D landmarks in full color and detail.

Each landmark has an immersive animated landscape that you can interact with, and there is a toggle for viewing them in Light or Dark mode. The landmarks are organized by city and the app will be regularly updated with new models as they become available. The app is free to use and has no ads, but there is an optional gyroscope feature that can be unlocked for as little as $0.29 for users who wish to support the developers.

Apple periodically updates a list of locations where the Detailed City Experience is available on its iOS feature availability page.

Baev also released a similar Preflights app that provides 3D map views of major airports, complete with essential information.

Top Rated Comments

jbc25 Avatar
1 week ago
Why would you want to download a separate app to look at these, what's the point? Also, the way this post is written makes you think it's an Apple Maps feature.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GeoStructural Avatar
1 week ago
I like the direction Apple Maps is taking; the graphics are gorgeous, the Look-around feature is vastly superior to Google's offering, and the 3D views are rich and realistic.

Apple Maps has sure come a long way, but it still has a lot to improve. One thing I would like them to improve is precision, Google still beats it on the best route, Apple Maps still sends me around my destination instead of straight there. Two other aspects are pinpoint managements and up-to-date maps and street names.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Macaholic868 Avatar
1 week ago
Just had a fun “conversation” in the new Bing app about 80’s synth pop and where I can find playlists for modern songs made in that style. Then I used Siri to play the music through my HomePod. Meanwhile Apple’s hard at work adding custom details about cities I won’t be visiting anytime soon into their maps app and coming out with new emoji and watch bands.

WTF Apple? They should be able to walk and chew gum at the same time considering they basically have a license to print money at this point but I’m increasingly concerned they can’t. Siri is a joke and other companies have already done most of the heavy lifting required to vastly improve it if Apple would just pony up, pay the licensing fees and integrate it into their own SDK and API’s.

Apple should be both doing that and working on their own in-house AI style engine but shouldn’t leave their customers reliant on Microsoft or Google for a decent audio based smart assistant. It’s a bad look from Apple.

I fear their bum rush to get overly expensive VR equipment nobody will use out the door is outweighing smart practical moves like developing their own in-house next generation AI style engine or licensing what’s already out there to almost instantly improve Siri.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DaPizzaMan Avatar
1 week ago

Why would you want to download a separate app to look at these, what's the point? Also, the way this post is written makes you think it's an Apple Maps feature.
There's a lack of discoverability in Apple Maps. I wouldn't know where to look to find 3D Landmarks in the Apple Maps app. This Landmarks app makes them all easy to find - with an option to open in Apple Maps.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MasterControlProgram Avatar
1 week ago
I’d have preferred if Apple had carried on doing the 3D cities they’ve done so far. While these new models are nice, they look more basic than the more detailed and textured models they’ve already done:



These old 3D models were animated too (e.g. the London Eye rotates). So I’m not sure why they’ve half finished one 3D map and started on another one. ?

Attachment Image
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
h.gilbert Avatar
1 week ago
Ah yes the landmark that is the apple fifth avenue store
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April. iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
iPhone 15 Pro Buttons CAD Leak

iPhone 15 Pro Leak Reveals Unified Volume Button and Mute Button

Monday March 20, 2023 8:33 am PDT by
As previously rumored, the next-generation iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a unified volume button and a mute button, according to leaked CAD images shared in a video on the Chinese version of TikTok and posted to Twitter by ShrimpApplePro. Instead of separate buttons for volume up and volume down, the iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to have a single elongated button for...
voice isolation

iOS 16.4 Adds Voice Isolation for Cellular Phone Calls

Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:01 am PDT by
The iOS 16.4 update that is set to be released to the public in the near future includes voice isolation for cellular calls, according to notes that Apple shared today. Apple says that Voice Isolation will prioritize your voice and block out the ambient noise around you, making for clearer phone calls where you can better hear the person you're chatting with and vice versa. Voice...
airpodsd 3 purple 4

iOS 16.4 Seemingly References New AirPods and AirPods Case

Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:43 am PDT by
The iOS 16.4 release candidate version that was provided to developers today appears to hint at a new set of AirPods that could be coming in the near future. According to @aaronp613, the beta features references to AirPods that have a model number of A3048 and an AirPods case with a model number of A2968. There have been no rumors that new AirPods are on the horizon, and it is early for...
maxresdefault

Nothing Launches $149 Ear (2) Wireless Earbuds to Compete With AirPods Pro 2

Wednesday March 22, 2023 9:48 am PDT by
Nothing today announced the launch of its second-generation wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2), which offer many of the same features as Apple's AirPods Pro 2 at a lower price point. We went hands-on with the Ear (2) earbuds to see whether they're a viable alternative to the AirPods Pro 2 for those who want to save some cash. The Ear (2) earbuds are the successor to the Nothing Ear (1),...
iOS 16

Apple Seeds Release Candidate Versions of iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 to Developers [Update: Public RC Available]

Tuesday March 21, 2023 10:25 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the launch of the fourth betas. The RCs mark the final version of the software that will be provided to the public in the near future. Registered developers are able to download the iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates...
apple park at night 1

Apple 'Tracking Employee Attendance' in Crackdown on Remote Working

Thursday March 23, 2023 3:41 am PDT by
Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer. Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Rumor Recap: 10 New Features and Changes to Expect

Thursday March 23, 2023 6:42 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular. Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A1...