Apple Maps has a huge iOS 27 upgrade on the way for Flyover that will help
you see cities around the world like never before and users think its down
to Gaussian Splatting, the next big 3D photography craze

Date:
Tue, 09 Jun 2026 18:30:00 +0000

Description:
Apple Maps' Flyover view will look even more detailed in iOS 27, and it could give Google a run for its money.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Apple Maps is getting a huge Flyover visual upgrade It will use Vision Intelligence and aerial imagery to create detailed 3D models of city landscapes It looks like Apple has also adopted Gaussian Splatting to help render its 3D models Apple s upcoming iOS 27 upgrade isn't just about fancy new AI upgrades like the new Siri voice assistant but Apple Maps is also getting quite a noticeable revamp.

During its WWDC 2026 keynote, Apple took a moment to shine a light on the new visual upgrade for the Flyover tool in Apple Maps, which allows you to view over 350 global cities in 3D from a bird's eye perspective. In iOS 27,
Flyover will display buildings and natural landscapes alike using a combination of aerial imagery and Apples own Vision Intelligence models to produce 3D views that are even more detailed. Though Apple didnt go into further detail, the images used in the WWDC presentation suggest that the company has also adopted Gaussian Splatting to create its 3D landscapes, a graphics technique that uses video footage as the foundation to build a 3D framework. The tool could really give Apple a huge leg-up over Google Maps , which still uses photogrammetry to generate its own 3D models. Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

Its not a theory thats completely out of the question; there are users out there who have also pointed this out after seeing the newly rendered imagery in Apples keynote (see below). holy crap! apple just beat google to the punch -- 3d gaussian splatting is coming to apple maps.these 3d scenes are made
from oblique aerial imagery. but unlike blobby photogrammetry -- no more broccoli trees, no more melted powerlines -- ground level detail that
actually holds pic.twitter.com/Iv95I3yfbj June 8, 2026 Flyovers enhanced imagery is designed to bring out every visual aspect of Apple Maps 3D aerial views, including the nitty gritty parts that go unnoticed. Speaking at WWDC , Vice President of OS Program Management, Stacey Ford, shared the following: From beautiful architectural details to the shapes of individual trees, to
the way light reflects off the glass of skyscrapers, youll see cities around the world like never before. You may like The 7 biggest new features coming
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The update is quite a big technical shift for Apple Maps, and will join other upgrades from macOS Golden Gate , to custom AirPods EQ adjustments in iOS 27. The only downside is that youll have to wait a bit to test out Flyovers new look, as iOS 27 is expected to roll out publicly in September but you can register as a developer and download the first iOS 27 beta now .

Although theres still a few months left to wait, users have spotted signs
that Apple is tinkering with Flyover ahead of the wider iOS 27 rollout. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. (Image credit: Apple / YouTube) When the announcement was shared to the r/AppleMaps community on Reddit , users flocked to the comments to share more theories. One user believes Apple is conducting a weird rollout, who says that switching to iOS 27 reverts previously-supported cities to low-quality satellite images, while newly-supported cities receive the visual upgrade.

From the users experience, they recall seeing a handful of US locations including San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, and Phoenix revert to 2D, as well as international cities such as Sydney, Paris, and Stockholm. On the other hand, Vegas, London, Berlin, Barcelona, and others have been upgraded.

At the moment its still very much a guessing game, and Apple probably wont provide further information until we get closer to the wider iOS 27 launch later this year. That said, Apples move from photogrammetry to Gaussian Splatting marks a big shift in digital map rendering, and now were just waiting for Google Maps to follow suit. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/software/apple-maps-has-a-huge-ios-27-upgr ade-on-the-way-for-flyover-that-will-help-you-see-cities-around-the-world-like -never-before-and-users-think-its-down-to-gaussian-splatting-the-next-big-3d-p hotography-craze


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