gMaps Keeps Getting Better - Top 10 awesome features coming in the new Google Maps #io13

I’m sure more than a few of you have been catching the 2013 Google I/O livestream, unless you happen to be there in person (lucky you). It’s always a treat to hear about Google and what’s coming next. For myself I was interested to hear all about the future of Google Maps and Google Maps for mobile. Google has reinforced that Maps are all about exploring and discovering, especially on mobile. The experience will only get better, for the developer and end user. We can all expect to enjoy new features and enhanced navigation experiences from gMaps in the near future. Myself, I thought the added focus on public transit as well as the live incident updates are way cool. The new "explore" experience will bring even more functionality and great experiences to local search and something that I thought was quite awesome for developers is the addition of the new Google Play EDU store coming later this fall – Google and Android are looking good!

Maps is a large part of I/O and tons of developers hit Google I/O to learn all about Google Maps – according to reps there were about 17 sessions dedicated to Google Maps! In the I/O keynote a presentation about the new Google Maps was a highlight of the day. The presentation shared the future of Google Maps and Google Maps for mobile – did you know that more than a million websites are using Google Maps with 1 billion+ visitors each week!! WOW

And so, Imagine the new Google maps and a map built just for you – that’s what Google wants from you. Google is making the map the user interface and providing an entirely rebuilt Google maps experience. Note, the new Maps isn’t ready yet, however, you can request an invitation and get first/early access when it comes out – SEE HERE.

So, what’s hot with the new Google Maps? You’ll have to be the judge of that but to kick things off I will provide my Top 10 things coming in the new Google Maps:

Full screen – a better use of screen real estate, full screen, more usable area, it’s all map!
Intuitive
Better Labeling – with less focus on those little pins, places that appear in search results show up on the map with labels and logical descriptions and other useful info. New "cards" will provide more detailed information about places
More Local – better local search results and you’ll even see results on your map that are pushed there because people in your circles suggest them and rate them highly
More Reviews – Reviews keep getting better with more focus put on your friends’ likes and there’s even integration of Zagat reviews coming too
More Business Info – 40 million precise geocodes of local businesses, the base of many Google products will bring more local knowledge and more places to maps. Places will now have a new 5 pt rating scale to help the local user and look for the inclusion of indoor maps and added content
Imagery, Imagery, Imagery – Imagery is the killer feature of maps and there’s going to be even more along with more 3D integration. When searching for information about a place or city a nice little carousel will present imagery to help you get a more immersive experience in your search. EarthView brings more Google Earth-like capabilities to maps
Better Navigation – directions will be even smarter and there’s enhanced navigation coming as well. Info cards will provide quick access to directions
Built for you – the map learns your likes and provides more suggestions based on your likes. Makes total sense… I love craft beer so if Google knows that (and I’m sure they do by now) it makes sense to label micro breweries nearby when I’m using gmaps.
More Transit – Over one million transit stops are available in Google maps along with transit data and schedules – the new presentation of bus schedules and related data shown for San Fran was totally awesome!!
Google Maps Learns About You – The more you do with maps (you need to be logged in with your Google account obviously) the more it learns about you, your likes, and your patterns