5 questions about the return of Apple Plans cars in France

Several original vehicles have been seen in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in recent weeks. Surmounted by an amazing radar, they are decked out with a mention “Apple Maps Imagery Collection”On the rear windshield. You guessed it, these are the units responsible for mapping major cities with 360-degree photos to compete with Street View (Google Maps) with Apple Plans.

If these cars are in town again, it is probably because Apple prepares the arrival of additional places with this visual exploration feature. It is also possible that the developer wants to update arteries who have not been revisited for a while; thus improving theNext version of plans expected with iOS 17. Now let's see what it is.

1 - What does an Apple Plans car look like?

To locate an Apple Plans car for sure, it is enough to pay attention toLiDARInstalled on the roof. This block clad in sensors takes care of immortalizing the environment crossed by the convoy, while measuring the distances in order to obtain a model available then at 360 degrees. In terms of other clues, the speed is also relatively reduced, in order to obtain clear images: this gives time to confirm that the vehicle belongs to Apple, reading the written text on the windows.

For this project, Apple uses several automobile models but it seems that the most common in France is a white Subaru Impreza Break, sufficiently spacious to take on board computers inside the passenger compartment, in addition to the pilot. Finally, note that a cable most often connects the left rear wheel to the radar, there too for the mileage counting.

2 - How to see them in real life?

Surprisingly, Apple warns before deploying its smart cars in France. You can consultthis siteat any time to know the passage calendar. At the moment, drivers circulate in particular in New Aquitaine and Occitania, and others should arrive in Normandy during the month of July as well as in Brittany from August to September.

Unfortunately,Cupertino does not specify the schedulesaccurate where it is possible to meet your cars. On the other hand, for each region, it is indicated which department will be crossed and at which dates, with the added bonus of a card delimiting the exact areas to be monitored in the cities concerned. Pedestrians equipped with a backpack with the Lidar can also be favored, especially when certain paths are not wide enough for four -wheel vehicles. These amazing devices can already be met in Lyon (Confluence district) at the moment.

3-Can I drive one?

Not for the moment. Recently, Apple CEO has indeed explained to reduce the rate of hires, which should allow society to face the crisis. The new recruits are therefore only accepted in some essential departments: technical support, Apple Store sellers, etc. No additional driver on the horizon, therefore.

This is confirmed if we visitThe official website of job offers at Apple, for France. However, it is not excluded that the apple firm is recruiting new drivers in a few months, especially in the United States where the serviceLook Aroundis much more developed than with us. This is the name of the functionality of visiting streets in virtual reality among our neighbors across the Atlantic.

4 - How to explore the captured places?

Municipalities are therefore not all covered in mainland France, far from it. This is however the case of Paris, Toulouse or Strasbourg and Bordeaux. To take advantage of the 360 ​​-degree view, simply go to an eligible locality and, on Mac, click on the icon in the form ofbinocularsAt the top right of the plans app. A window then opens in superposition with the card: click on the two arrows to enlarge it.

On iPhone and on iPad, the shortcut of binoculars is rather located at the bottom of the screen. You can then move by sliding your fingers to the left or to the right, zoom in a pinch gesture or go into full screen mode with the arrows. Do not be surprised if a place where you saw an Apple car is not yet available: it is generally several weeks before update.

5-What's going on if I come across an Apple Plans car?

If you finally see one of Apple Plans's cars, know that it is likely to take a picture of you. However, for the sake of respect for privacy as hammeredregularlyTim Cook, all faces are supposed to be blurred during the editing of the images and before their publication. But errors can occur, in this case it is enough to make a request to correct the shot by writing toThis email address.

Among the other confidentiality possibilities, Apple also agrees to hide license plates or even whole homes. A spell that is not only reserved for individuals, since sensitive establishments such as military land or nuclear power plants can also be hidden in this way.