Apple Is Mapping Out Better Navigation With The Acquisition of GPS Firm Coherent Navigation

Apple’s Maps navigation technology still lags behind Google Maps. Nearly twice as many iPhone owners prefer to get directions and look up addresses on the Google version, compared to Apple’s native Maps app, according to recent ComScore numbers.

But it seems Apple is making moves to improve those usage numbers. The global tech giant confirmed earlier today that it bought the high-precision navigation service Coherent Navigation and that the team from Coherent Navigation would join the Apple Maps team.

Apple has not divulged when it bought Coherent Navigation, or for how much, but the LinkedIn page of Paul G. Lego, Coherent Navigation’s CEO shows he’s been working for Apple for the last 5 months.

“Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time,” the company told TechCrunch in a statement, “and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”

The move is part of a series of mapping technology acquisitions to help improve its mapping technology in the last few years. Apple snapped up mapping startups BroadMap, Embark and HopStop.com in 2013.