Apple Maps

Instead of straining to plan your next road trip on your iPhone, you can now view maps on the big screen using your Apple TV. A new app called TV Maps is now available for $1.99 on the App Store and the experience is really cool. The app uses MapKit, the same backend used in Apple's own Maps app, and includes most of the same features.

TV Maps is in its first version and it does experience some minor issues like delays while loading map segments and some stuttering when using Flyover. This may be mostly a RAM issue, but either way it is a slight annoyance while using the app. For the most part, however, TV Maps runs smoothly on the Apple TV. Overall, for a first of its kind tvOS app, it works really well. The experience will feel right at home if you've used Maps for iPhone, iPad or the Mac.

Apple's native Maps app has been around for about three and a half years at this point, initially launching with iOS 6 in September of 2012. Unfortunately, when it first made its debut, most people were already using Google Maps and on top of that, Apple's Maps suffered some setbacks due to reported inaccuracies. It has quickly gained market share since its early woes, but it may still remain relatively unfamiliar to many iOS users.

When Apple Maps debuted in 2012, it carried with it a fair share of issues that kept it short of its full potential. From incomplete coverage areas to warped street views, it was clear that Apple’s ambitious attempt to become the new king of the mobile app world was very much a work in progress.