Vans registered to Apple have been roving the streets of San Francisco and Brooklyn, auspiciously recording their surroundings using a camera-laden setup that includes a LiDAR array to measure distances.
The blogosphere has been ripe with speculation, especially given the recent news on Google's ambition to compete directly with taxi-replacement services like Uber.
Apple hasn't been issued a license for road testing, so it's unlikely that they would be illegally testing an autonomous vehicle. However, one report suggests that this could be the result of a third-party partnership, as the cameras appear to be pointed towards the wheels.
Another likely scenario is a physical mapping array that's mapping the area for an improved Apple Maps product.
As Google knows well, a map becomes far more precise once it has been physically mapped in the real world. Apple could be working to improve accuracy and offer specific StreetView-style features. This aligns with its recent expansion of Apple Maps Connect, which is part of the brand's ongoing push to improve accuracy within its maps product.
Here's the YouTube video that continues to fuel speculation:
If Apple is indeed working on its own StreetView-style feature for its Apple Maps product, this could be welcome news for Uber. Google Maps currently provides the street-level data in Uber's driver app, meaning that an alternative could soon be needed to avoid working with the mapping product of a direct competitor.
Of course, a tectonic shift from Google to Apple is awhile aways, and Apple may not even be interested in a partnership given that Google is a primary investor in Uber.
Whatever Apple is up to, it's another reminder of how fiercely competitive the biggest tech companies are — and how the landscape is ever-shifting throughout the mapping/transportation space.
NB: Image from Claycord.