iOS 9.3 looked like it was going to be a good update for CarPlay fans. However, I wouldn’t get overly excited just yet, if you’re willing to jump on the beta bandwagon early and you live outside Apple’s specified countries…
On installing the first iOS 9.3 beta of Apple’s new software for iPhone devices, I jumped into my car and immediately launched Apple’s Maps app, in search for its new ‘Nearby’ feature. Having flicked through the app’s already limited menus, I couldn’t find it! Where was it?!
It wasn’t there, dear readers…Why? Well, Apple has decided (for now) to limit this feature to just six countries. The countries currently supporting iOS 9.3’s new feature are: USA, Canada, Australia, France, Germany and China. Yup, that pretty sucks if you don’t live in these regions, and you were looking forward to checking out this new addition to the Maps app on CarPlay.
The six countries supported by Apple’s new Nearby CarPlay feature
Before we all lose our rags though, let’s remember that this is a beta, the first for iOS 9.3, with many more iterations to follow. So let’s hope this feature rolls out to more countries very soon, as it looks pretty handy for those that have tried it out already.
What I don’t understand, is why this feature can be so limited, so early on. There are over 100 countries that support directions in Maps, half this amount for turn-by-turn navigation, so POT (Points of Interest) support must be featured in a majority of locations; far more than six! All the data is already there, it’s just a case of searching for it, based on your location, and displaying it on screen, no? So what else is Apple doing here for them to limit the countries so early on…especially in the UK?
Let’s hope before the beta goes ‘gold’ to the rest of the world, Apple decide to open this feature up to many more countries, to make this update worth while for us CarPlay fans, because let’s face it; if you’re not an Apple Music subscriber, and you live outside these six territories, then iOS 9.3 isn’t really a great update to shout about.
[Thanks: @apollozac for the tip]
