iPhone 6 Rumors: First Apple iOS Smart Phone to Have the Indoor Mapping Feature? [PHOTOS]
The latest report on the upcoming iPhone 6 indicates that Apple is ready to compete with the Search Engine giant, Google, when it comes to the mapping feature. Apple confirmed getting hold of WifiSLAM that could provide the first iOS smart phone with the indoor mapping feature as well as location tracking.
WifiSLAM, the tech start-up of a WiFi-based interior location specialist, is expected to progress and expand the Apple Maps which received negative feedbacks after its 2012 launch. Police in Australia have branded the Apple Maps perilous since the mapping feature provided travelers with missing or mislocated towns, warped roads and non-existing establishments.
Now, the latest smart phone technology will reportedly function through Wi-Fi signals to utilize the indoor location tracking where users are easily located someplace inside a building. The WifiSLAM company stated: "We are building the next generation of location-based mobile apps that, for the first time, engage with users at the scale that personal interaction actually takes place."
"Applications range from step-by-step indoor navigation, to product-level retail customer engagement, to proximity-based social networking. Allow your smart phone to pinpoint its location and the location of your friends in real-time to 2.5m accuracy using only ambient Wi-Fi signals that are already present in buildings," the WifiSLAM company further added.
The upcoming iPhone 6 with indoor mapping could be a very useful feature that allows navigation inside huge establishments, proximity-based social networking or replacement of audio guides in museums and exhibits. For instance, a family visiting the mall can easily locate where each family member is just as long as they have the iOS smart phone.
However, Apple has not given any comment regarding the recent reports on the WifiSLAM technology for the upcoming iPhone 6. As for the release of the next Apple iPhone, the iPhone 5S is reportedly scheduled for a launch this summer or fall while the iPhone 6 is due for a release in the early months of 2014.