Apple Maps help inbound travellers plan routes

An Apple Maps app is displayed on an Apple Watch during an event held in San-Francisco, March 9, 2015. [Photo/IC]

Even as rumors swirl around the upcoming release of the next iPhone, the release of the public beta version of iOS 9 has also caused a stir among Apple users.

The new feature of Apple Maps, which can help Chinese users to navigate from point A to point B via public transport, such as bus, subway, or train, will be fully operational in more than 300 Chinese cities this fall.

The debut of Apple Maps was met with considerable criticism due to system bugs and mapping errors in 2012, so, after making a number of transit-focused acquisitions, the company has attempted to provide a service that can rival Google Maps as well as domestic brand Baidu Maps.

As one of the selective Chinese media outlets, China Daily was invited to take part in a tour to explore the public transit function of Apple Maps, which comes preinstalled in the brand's latest mobile system.

Press members who were gathered at the Apple Store of Beijing's Xidan Joy City, were asked to navigate to Aloft Hotel in the Haidian district of the city by using Apple Maps. 

The route simulated the experience of a first-time visitor to Beijing, being able to navigate without asking for directions. All you needed to get around was a iPhone with a 4G LTE SIM card.

Thanks to AutoNavi Software Co Ltd, or Gaode maps,a Beijing-based company who provides location database for Apple Maps, users can type their target destination into the app, and it will calculate the optimal travel route.