Recent reports by the Chinese media outlet, China Daily, suggest that Huawei is developing its own mapping service. The service, however, is not as you may speculate. The new software is made for developers who work with apps that have inbuilt navigation systems. For instance, ride-hailing apps like Taxify could use Huawei’s mapping technology instead of building theirs.

According to a Huawei executive, the mapping service will offer developers a street navigation system. They will be able to use it in the apps to show real-time traffic reports. The service, called Map Kit, will support Augmented-Reality Mapping. This sounds like it will be a Huawei version of Google’s recently launched AR Google Maps directions service.

The report explains that the Map Kit will connect to local mapping services. Huawei is also partnering with Russian internet service, Yandex, as they already offer a mapping service API. Also, Huawei has telecom base stations that can give more information to satellites on location.

Huawei Map Kit

Google has been able to retain the maps monopoly for 14 years after it launched Google Maps in 2005. The company has since invested heavily in the service even as they bought over the competition, Waze, in 2013. That buy cost them a whopping $996 million (approximately ₦362.3 billion). They went as far as coming to Nigeria years ago when they drove around the streets to help map them.

Apple has its own maps too which has been in iOS devices since 2012. However, it has been unable to compete with Google in the mapping service business. Nokia also had its own maps which it eventually sold to some German companies in 2015 at over $3 billion (approximately ₦362 billion). Nokia’s Here map ended up being used in Microsoft’s Bing Maps.