Apple Inc. is preparing to launch a drastically overhauled version of its mapping service that will rely on data from satellites, iPhones and vans equipped with cutting-edge sensors.

TechCrunch, which was briefed by the company about the plan, reported today that the upgrade will start rolling out in the coming weeks. The new Apple Maps will initially be available via the iOS 12 beta program, with location coverage limited to the Bay Area. The iPhone maker plans to extend the service to the rest of the U.S. over the next year.

Users can expect to see a significant improvement in both the visual fidelity and accuracy of Apple Maps. According to the company officials who discussed the update, the service will keep better track of real-time factors such as traffic conditions, as well as provide more detailed maps.

The visual enhancements serve not only an aesthetic purpose but a practical one. In the new Apple Maps, drivers will have an easier time distinguishing throughways from the environment. When traveling on foot or a bike, meanwhile, users can expect a better view of public spaces and buildings.

The improvements in the new Apple Maps are largely thanks to a change of data sources. The service will generate maps using a combination of satellite footage and images from specialized data gathering vans operated by the iPhone maker. Each vehicle is reportedly equipped with a sophisticated GPS system, eight cameras and four LIDAR arrays, a type of laser-based sensor commonly used in self-driving cars.

Apple Maps’ new real-time features, in turn, will be powered by data collected from users’ devices. TechCrunch reported that Apple has put privacy mechanisms in place to “completely” anonymize the information.

By the sound of it, the service is on track to become a much more formidable rival to Alphabet Inc.’s Google Maps than before. One of the most oft-cited explanations for why Apple has struggled to compete with the search giant so far is its dependence on external location data providers. Alphabet was using mapping vehicles and its own users’ devices to gather information, an advantage that Apple now possesses as well. 

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