The rollout will be slow, however, with transit directions for only six cities around the world to start. Around that time, Apple also acquired transit app Embark and local business data startup Locationary to boost its mapping and location services to be able to rival the superior Google Maps iOS app.
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Apple also acquired Coherent Navigation earlier this year, a global positioning company that develops high-precision navigation systems-even more accurate than a typical global positioning system that you might find in a smartphone or other consumer-grade device. The closing of HopStop was reported September 12 by Fortune, which attributed the move to Apple’s desire to bring users to its own mapping services as they are added in the future.
Three years after Apple broke away from bundling Google Maps into iOS, its replacement, Apple Maps, is finally getting proper public transit directions. This weekend, when I loaded HopStop up as per usual and saw a banner announcing its imminent shut down, my heart dropped.
Apple’s shutdown of HopStop means that the tech giant wants iPhone users to rely on native Maps to get around, as supposed to another branded product.
Apple has lot in store for Maps then it lets out. The list is short for now: Transit only supports 10 cities around the world, eight of which are in the United States like New York City, Philadelphia and San Francisco. Enter your starting address and where you were going, and HopStop would plot your carless journey-you could choose from a range of transport options, like subways, buses, walking, biking and taxi (HopStop estimated how much a cab to your destination cost).
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I have a awful sense of direction, and HopStop has planned my trips around NYC and multiple cities innumerable times. While it’s hardly unusual for Apple to put the kibosh on a company post-acquisition, HopStop is still supporting many cities beyond Apple’s current reach. Selecting Transit will bring up public transport routes, with the quickest way immediately displayed.
