Apple updates Maps, Wallet ahead of Paris Olympics

Apple has shared some updates to Maps and Wallet ahead of the Summer Olympics in Paris, including real-time traffic information and detailed landmarks to make city tours smoother.

Starting this week, Apple Maps will show real-time updates for the Paris Metro, RER, Paris Trams, RATP buses, and more. Passengers will see detailed transport timetables, instant departure and arrival times and system connections to make traveling easier. Real-time traffic information is also available in dozens of cities including New York City; Berlin; and Sydney, Australia.

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Likewise, people can now add Navigo cards to Apple Wallet to buy transit passes and travel around Paris. They no longer need to go to the vending machine or reload their Navigo card. Instead, they can purchase a pass through the Île-de-France Mobilités iOS app or Apple Wallet, then tap on their iPhone or Apple Watch and ride.

Apple Maps also provides more detailed information, from road markings to trees to public transportation routes. There are also new custom-designed 3D landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Arc de Triomphe. In addition, all Olympic venues in Paris have received colorful 3D renderings.

The Summer Olympics also require some event pop-ups, such as temporary arenas and shops, which will also appear on the map. Starting in July, the map will show special icons for all venues, pop-ups and temporary venues.

For anyone heading to Paris (or anywhere else) this summer, Maps and other Apple features in Wallet may come in handy. For example, Look Around lets you virtually view a location through 3D street-level imagery (similar to Google’s Street View). Offline maps allow you to navigate even without an Internet connection (also similar to Google’s functionality). You can also load your boarding passes into Apple Wallet so you can easily access them on the go (you can also do this in Google Wallet).

The Paris Summer Olympics will be held from July 26 to August 11.