Apple Maps AR directions arrive in Tokyo

Apple appears to have rolled out its immersive walking directions feature for Apple Maps in iOS 15 in the city of Tokyo.

According to Ata Distance:

I should have guessed that when I found the 'Refine Location' icon looking at me this morning, something else was up. Indeed, a closer inspection revealed that Apple Maps activated step-by-step walking guidance in augmented reality for the Tokyo area. No idea if other regions such as Osaka and Nagoya have also gotten it, kinda hard to check without being on site. I'll update this post if new region details emerge.

The new features let customers on devices like the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 use augmented reality to overlay navigation direction on the real world for an immersive navigation experience. Apple announced the feature for iOS 15 last year:

"With iOS 15, Apple Maps introduces step-by-step walking guidance in augmented reality. Users can simply raise their iPhone to scan buildings in the area, and Maps generates a highly accurate position to deliver detailed directions that can be viewed in the context of the real world."

Apple gave Apple Maps a pretty big overhaul with iOS 15, adding improved driving routes, more highly detailed maps, transit updates, guides, and more.