10,000-word article analyzing mobile map competitors: Amap, Baidu, Tencent

This article takes the products of the three giants, Baidu Maps , Amap, and Tencent Maps, as the analysis objects. It focuses on the industry ecology and company strategy at the macro level, and provides insights into the product function layout; at the micro level, it focuses on the product core and conducts a multi-faceted analysis of the data, users, scenarios, functions, interactions, advantages and disadvantages of mobile map products. Finally, a preliminary prediction is made on the development trend of China's mobile map products.

This article is divided into two parts. The first part will start with the following modules to discuss the mobile map competitors in detail:

I. Background Overview

1.1 Industry Analysis

1.2 Competitive product selection

1.3 Experience Environment

1.4 Product Introduction

2. Product Analysis

2.1 Product Positioning

2.2 User Profile

2.3 Demand Scenario

2.4 Product Functional Architecture

2.5 Functional Coverage Comparison

A. Positioning and Navigation

B. Travel Services

C. Intelligent Voice Interaction

D. Scene Map

E. Other Features

2.6 Interface Interaction

A. Main interface

B. Navigation interface

C. My interface

2.7 Summary of Functional Status

1. Background Overview

1.1 Industry Analysis

Mobile maps have the characteristics of wide coverage of areas, rich travel services, and extensive query information. They have become an essential tool APP for people to travel with the popularization of 4G mobile networks. It mainly includes location positioning, intelligent navigation, keyword search, surrounding query, route query under different travel modes, location sharing, road condition prompts, thematic maps, public transportation routes and other travel information service functions.

But at the same time, map data requires high quality and strong timeliness, which leads to high frequency and strict qualifications of data collection , and requires a large amount of manpower, material and financial resources. The continuous demand for capital transfusions has led to high barriers to competition in the mobile map industry, and only giant companies with strong capital can finally enter the market.

Today's mobile map industry in China has formed a situation where Baidu and Amap are leading the ecosystem in a "battle of the gods", while Tencent Maps is catching up and looking for opportunities to break through. As the travel ecosystem of Amap and Baidu Maps gradually improves, the application of artificial intelligence technology has significantly improved their data collection efficiency and the industry entry threshold has been further raised. The two leading players dominate the competition in the mobile map market, and it is difficult for new entrants to emerge.

The following figure shows the trend of active users in the mobile map field in the second quarter of 2018 (Source: Analysys Qianfan):

It can be seen that although the number of active users in China's mobile map APP field showed slight fluctuations in the middle of the quarter in the first two quarters of 2018, the overall scale continued to grow. Judging from the number of active users in the second quarter of 2018, factors such as warmer weather, holiday travel, and watching the World Cup have stimulated user demand in the map market. The number of monthly active users increased to 465 million at the end of the second quarter, a month-on-month increase of 5.00% compared to the 443 million monthly active users at the end of the first quarter.

The following figure is a comparison of the user scale of China's mobile map market from 2015 to 2018 (Source: iMedia Research):

Mobile map navigation is a basic need for daily travel. The user scale of 700 million shown in the figure above has not reached saturation. The market still has room for further growth in the future, but the user growth rate has slowed down compared with previous years , indicating that the mobile map market has entered a mature stage . Various map applications have leveraged their own technologies and resources to delve deeply into usage scenarios and user experience , providing increasingly sophisticated and intelligent functional services.

1.2 Competitive product selection

The following table shows the top three mobile map apps in terms of monthly active users according to the iResearch Index in October 2018. It can be seen that Amap tops the list with 450.25 million devices, while Baidu Maps and Tencent Maps rank second and third with 371.92 million and 22.16 million devices respectively.

The top three map apps in October 2018 (Source: iResearch App Index)

This article selects the competing map products as Amap, Baidu Maps and Tencent Maps.

1.3 Experience Environment

• APP version: Amap: 8.75.0 / Baidu Map: 10.10.1 / Tencent Map: 8.1.7
• Experience machine: iPhone7 plus
• Operating system: iOS 12

1.4 Product Introduction

(1) Baidu Maps

Baidu Maps is a map service product under Baidu. As a leader in the map industry market, it adheres to the brand vision of "technology makes travel easier", takes "serving users' travel" as its mission, and uses technology as a means to continuously explore and innovate.

At present, Baidu Maps' international maps have covered 209 countries and regions around the world. With the advent of the AI ​​era, the main functions of Baidu Maps include: intelligent navigation, voice interaction, AR walking navigation and smart tour guides, special cars and other travel modes, indoor maps in various scenarios, and global POI coverage of up to 140 million, which makes user travel more convenient.

(2) Amap

Amap is China's leading provider of digital map content, navigation and location-based service solutions. Now as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alibaba , it is the only company among the three map giants that possesses the "triple" qualifications of Class A surveying and mapping qualification for navigation electronic maps, Class A qualification for surveying and mapping aerial photography, and Class A qualification for surveying and mapping Internet map services. Its high-quality electronic map database has become the company's core competitiveness.

Amap is popular among users for its comprehensive and accurate location information, unique voice navigation, intelligent route planning and exciting nearby information. It also has the advantages of saving traffic , low power consumption, small space occupation and smooth experience.

(3) Tencent Maps

Tencent Maps was formerly known as "SOSO Maps". It is an Internet map service launched by Tencent. Due to missing the bonus period of China's mobile map industry, it is currently in the stage of catching up. In 2013, it made a strategic investment in Sogou and gradually reached cooperation with overseas GIS service providers.

The main functions include precise positioning, intelligent recommendation navigation, real-time traffic updates in 200+ cities, King of Glory and special dialect navigation, indoor scene maps, exploration of the surroundings, etc., and it has enriched various functions around street view maps, adhering to the principle of "seeing the world without leaving home". It is a lightweight map that cares about the memory space of mobile phones, and the operation process is quick and simple.

1. Product Analysis

2.1 Product Positioning

Product positioning of Baidu Maps, Amap and Tencent Maps

2.2 User Profile

The following table shows the comparison of monthly active users (monthly number of independent devices) of Baidu Maps, Amap, and Tencent Maps from October 2017 to August 2018 (Source: iResearch App Index):

There is not much difference between Baidu Maps and Amap, both maintaining around 400 million , with the latter maintaining a slight advantage. The month-on-month growth rates of the two do not fluctuate much. Tencent Maps still has a certain gap in user accumulation compared with the top two map products , but its month-on-month growth rate is generally higher than that of Baidu and Amap. The month-on-month growth rate in December 2017 was relatively large, and there is still room for user growth.

The following figure shows the gender ratio of users of Baidu Maps, Amap and Tencent Maps (Source: iResearch App Index):

Baidu Map

Amap

Tencent Maps

It can be seen that the gender ratio of mobile map users is more than half male users, which is 10-17 percentage points higher than that of female users. Among them, the gender ratio of Baidu Map users is the most balanced, with a male-to-female ratio of about 11:9, and the gender ratio of Tencent Map is the largest, with a male-to-female ratio of about 10:7.

The following figure shows the age comparison of users of three mobile maps (Source: iResearch App Index):

Baidu Map

Amap

Tencent Maps

Nearly 70% of the users of the three apps are under the age of 35 , and users born in the 1980s and 1990s account for a large proportion of the users of the three maps . The user age structures of Baidu Maps and Amap are very similar, with users aged 25-35 accounting for 55.33% and 55.76% respectively. In comparison, Tencent Maps' users tend to be younger, with users aged 36 and above accounting for a lower proportion than Baidu Maps and Amap.

From the following figure, we can see the geographical distribution of map users of various companies (Source: iResearch App Index):

Baidu, Amap, and Tencent Maps (from top to bottom)

Guangdong, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Hebei are the five major provinces where mobile map users gather . The number of users in these five provinces accounts for 35.3% of the total number of Baidu map users, 35.7% of the total number of Amap map users, and 36.6% of the total number of Tencent map users. On the contrary, the proportion of mobile map users in the northwest region is very low, such as provinces such as Tibet, Qinghai and Ningxia. In addition, some central and northern regions of the country, as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan, still have room for further growth in the mobile map market.

2.3 Demand Scenario

Mobile maps are essential tools for travel, and their needs revolve around location positioning and route navigation. According to the KANO model, the user needs of mobile maps are divided into four types: basic (fatal point), expected (pain point), exciting (G spot), and indifferent (what ever):

Mobile Map Product KANO Demand Model

The following circular chart shows the inaccurate positioning of users when using maps in 2017-2018 (Source: iiMedia Research):

It can be seen that 69% of users have encountered inaccurate positioning of mobile maps. Among them, 71.7% of users believe that it happens occasionally, while 27.2% of users say that they often encounter inaccurate positioning or wrong routes. This shows that users' demand for the accuracy of mobile map positioning and navigation has not been met and needs further improvement. Positioning and navigation remain the main needs of map users, and data accuracy needs to be continuously refined .

The following figure shows the demand map of Baidu Maps, Amap and Tencent Maps from October 2017 to October 2018 (Source: Baidu App Index):

Users who have demand for map products also show continued concern for areas such as "translation function", " live streaming platforms such as Huya and Douyu ", "mailbox" and " games ", indicating that while users pursue efficiency, they also have a strong desire for leisure and entertainment. Among them, the search index of "translation" is high, the relevance is strong, and it continues to maintain an upward search trend. The technical difficulty is not high, and it can be considered to be integrated with the voice interaction function in the map product.

2.4 Product Functional Architecture

The following figure shows the product function architecture of Baidu, Amap, and Tencent Maps. The main functions of each product in the near future are marked with green flags:

Baidu Maps Product Functional Architecture

Amap product functional architecture

Tencent Maps Product Functional Architecture

It can be seen that the main functional frameworks of the three map apps are similar, and the core modules all include "positioning and navigation", "route planning", "map display", "location search", "explore nearby", etc. The mobile map products of the three major giants have begun to strengthen the intelligent application of their products, creating more convenient and more accurate navigation for customers and optimizing the travel experience. In addition, as outbound travel becomes more popular, Baidu Maps and Tencent Maps are strengthening their layout in overseas markets.

Comparison of key features of Baidu Maps, Amap and Tencent Maps

2.5 Functional Coverage Comparison

The following table provides an incomplete statistics of the coverage of various functions of Baidu Maps, Amap and Tencent Maps. Dark green indicates "complete functions", light green indicates "relatively good functions", yellow indicates "functions still have defects", and red indicates "no such function". This table is a qualitative evaluation result and is for reference only:

Comparison of product function coverage of Baidu Maps, Amap, and Tencent Maps

The following is a detailed discussion of several key functional modules:

A. Positioning and Navigation

The correctness and accuracy of positioning and navigation are the unchanging core of mobile maps. The following figure is a survey on the evaluation of mobile map navigation accuracy from 2017 to 2018 (Source: iiMedia Research):

Compared with the navigation accuracy survey in 2016-2017, Baidu Maps relied on its extensive big data accumulation and leading position in AI technology, and adopted a variety of advanced methods to re-optimize map data. It surpassed Amap by a slight advantage and became the mobile map navigation app with the highest accuracy with a score of 7.97.

Baidu Maps: While providing arrival time estimation service, you can find more settings and functions by "pull up" the interface, including "route preference, search along the way, navigation voice, itinerary sharing, follow the front of the car, full view window, power saving mode, and license plate restrictions." In addition, depending on the choice of travel mode, the navigation functions are also very diverse, such as providing "real-scene navigation" mode for walking navigation, and "way point setting" for driving, walking and cycling navigation.

Amap: It has always been known for its accurate data and navigation. It has the qualification of surveying and mapping and ranked second with 7.87 points in the evaluation of positioning and navigation accuracy. On July 26, 2018, AutoNavi demonstrated to the outside world for the first time its integrated solution based on high-precision maps and high-precision positioning. By cooperating with Qixun Location, it achieved more accurate horizontal and vertical roads for ordinary roads and highways in map navigation.

Tencent Maps: Ranked third, with a navigation accuracy score that is 0.9 points lower than the two leading products. At the 2017 Tencent Global Partner Conference, it officially announced the "AI in All" AI empowerment plan, with powerful connectivity capabilities and ecological resources to layout the field of smart travel.

B. Travel Services

Gaode Map:

After providing travel modes such as "taxi, driving, bus, cycling, and walking", it has launched long-distance travel services such as "easy travel, train, plane, truck, and bus", and provides multiple customized navigation for different services. Its unique car booking service not only allows you to choose to ride now, but also to make an appointment.

AutoNavi has created a one-stop travel platform by cooperating with various third-party platforms. Its online car-hailing cooperation platforms include Didi Chuxing, UCAR , Shouyue Auto , Caocao Auto and Yidao, and there are as many as three shared bicycle cooperation platforms: Mobike , Ofo and Hellobike.

In addition, the launch of Gaode's one-stop scenic spot service platform - Whole-region Tourism, uses the core capabilities of big data + cloud computing + artificial intelligence to realize a series of data analysis functions such as scenic spot maps, voice explanations, route planning, real-time hotspot distribution monitoring, and tourism statistical analysis.

Baidu Map:

In 2017, it began to support electric vehicle navigation and connected to the shared bicycle platform. It now provides 6 different travel modes (smart travel, car sharing, driving, bus, walking, and cycling), a variety of intelligent route planning, and gradually improves the travel ecosystem.

Tencent Maps:

Provides 4 travel options - driving, public transportation, walking and cycling, focusing on basic travel methods. At the same time, in June 2018, we cooperated with Yunnan Province to launch a scenic spot service platform, gradually realizing the upgrade of technology, functions and services, which needs further layout.

C. Intelligent Voice Interaction

The following figure shows the survey results of the usage of various functions of mobile phone map voice interaction (Source: iMedia Consulting):

The main usage scenarios of voice interaction are concentrated in core functional areas. More than half of users will use it when searching for locations, navigating, and checking traffic conditions . 36.8% and 22.1% of users will use voice interaction when playing music and in chat rooms, respectively.

The following figure shows the distribution of factors that mobile map users pay attention to voice functions from 2017 to 2018 (Source: iiMedia Research):

Most users' requirements for voice interaction focus on " correct recognition " and " sensitive response ". The first is "hearing clearly", users hope to have more accurate voice recognition and free their hands; the second is "understanding", which means being able to recognize users' complex needs and enable users to communicate with the map in a more natural and colloquial way; the last is "satisfaction", which means being able to meet users' needs and complete instructions by dispatching other functions.

Baidu Maps: Integrates voice capabilities into maps, wakes up the " Xiaodu Assistant " through voice, realizes full voice control, and builds powerful far-field and near-field voice recognition capabilities through continuous training and modeling. Baidu has made many voice interaction entrances in product design. For example, there will be a Xiaodu logo in the voice position on the homepage, which can be woken up by just blinking.

At the same time, as its AI capabilities improve, in addition to providing more auxiliary functions, such as personalized service recommendations, the scope of functions will also be expanded to meet the needs of user emotions, relieving fatigue and bringing fun through natural conversations with users. In addition, the strengthening of this intelligent interaction is also reflected in the introduction of new AR technologies. Baidu currently has functions such as panoramic AR walking navigation and AR building recognition , which bring users a more immersive and interesting navigation experience.

Amap: Voice interaction can be activated by touching the screen or shaking the home page. As part of quick navigation , it provides route navigation, location query, traffic query, map zooming, page switching and other functions based on voice recognition and semantic understanding. Thanks to the solid accumulation of high-precision maps, the execution results are accurate. It also provides a driving mode to optimize the interactive experience during driving. Lack of ability to conduct in-depth Q&A and conversation.

Tencent Maps: An intelligent voice assistant was launched in version 0. It can be awakened by saying "Ding Dang Ding Dang". It can provide navigation and location query functions in basic scenarios, but does not have in-depth question and answer capabilities. During the navigation process, the assistant image will continue to appear in different interfaces, guiding users to use voice interaction through scene design.

D. Scene Map

Baidu Map:

Baidu Maps has cooperated with government affairs, convenience and medical institutions in many regions, and has made efforts in map display modes: in terms of layer diversification, it provides 2D, 3D, satellite images and massive street view maps; in terms of multiple scenes, it provides indoor maps, walking AR real-scene signs, road conditions and events, various thematic maps, etc.; in terms of interface themes, it provides a variety of map skins. Thematic maps include heat maps , road condition maps, convenience atlases and thematic atlases, etc., providing a variety of services in massive scenarios.

Satellite image 3D map Real-time traffic map

Heat map Mobile store map Non-local medical insurance map

Weather map Smog map Charging station map

Drivers' useful maps Government and public convenience maps Waterlogging maps

Medical insurance designated hospitals and pharmacies Panoramic map

Gaode Map:

In addition to providing basic 2D layers, bus maps, satellite maps, real-time traffic maps, etc., Amap has chosen to create differentiated environmental maps from Baidu in the production of thematic maps - maps of air, water bodies, and sewage discharge enterprises at different scales. It also focuses on scenic spot maps, providing ancient-style hand-painted maps of all domestic 5A attractions and 70% of 4A scenic spots in the one-stop tourism solution "whole-region tourism", aiming to occupy the domestic tourism scene.

Real-time traffic map Public transportation map Air quality map

Polluting enterprise map Satellite map Water quality map (large scale)

Tencent Maps:

Tencent focuses on street view maps, indoor maps, etc., providing maps of more than 220 countries for overseas markets, and launching hand-drawn maps of scenic spots in combination with real-time hotspots, as well as special map skins of major IPs such as "Creation 101", product matrix "Honor of Kings" and "Chicken Eating Game". The types of maps provided are limited, and the development of thematic maps still needs to be strengthened.

Street view Satellite image Real-time traffic map 3D map

E. Other Features

Gaode Map:

City Traffic Number: Amap has launched the City Traffic Number service, which shares real-time big data with traffic police units. Users can use the traffic number to view events released by traffic police in various places and obtain timely feedback. It not only serves users' travel and customizes routes to save time, but also strengthens the intelligent management of urban traffic and optimizes the traffic environment.

Customized navigation voice packages: In addition to special voice packages such as Lin Chiling, Yue Yunpeng, and various local dialects, AutoNavi Maps also provides "My Recordings" to customize your own voice packages. The recordings are currently self-recorded by users for fixed sentences, and the complete navigation voice package cannot be customized by processing the sound materials. Instead, only the sentences recorded by the user are inserted into the driving navigation.

Smart Scenic Spots: After analyzing the needs and pain points of scenic spot management and the problems of existing smart scenic spots, AutoNavi launched the Smart Scenic Spot Open Platform, empowering scenic spot management by providing scenic spots with four major functions: "Traveling around China with One Map", "Big Data Center", "Map Manager", and "Global Marketing ". The biggest feature of Amap's Smart Scenic Spot Open Platform is that it is centered on serving tourists and its capabilities are open to scenic spots free of charge.

Scenic spot map Tour route map Itinerary planning

Baidu Map:

The first map-based quick app: It exports multiple high-quality core capabilities such as positioning and mapping to the quick app platform for use by third-party developers. The first public transportation query function launched covers real-time public transportation data in more than 20 cities across the country.

AR walking real-scene navigation: Baidu's AR technology combined with scenic area maps has realized "AR viewing of surrounding attractions" and "AR walking navigation". While walking and sightseeing, you can also enjoy voice explanations and exclusive tour guide services. This function can be turned on in the walking navigation interface. AR interaction makes navigation more intuitive, and special navigators such as dinosaurs also add fun to the path-finding process.

It should be noted that compared to ordinary navigation where users can view the route overview and correct navigation errors independently, users will be more dependent on navigation itself under the AR function, so the data quality and accuracy of navigation route planning must be strictly ensured.

AR view surrounding attractions AR walking navigation

2.6 Interface Interaction

As a travel tool product, the core needs of mobile maps revolve around location positioning and route navigation. The actual application scenarios can be divided into indoor & outdoor: indoor scenarios are mainly concentrated in the car, and map operations are completed by the driver or passengers in the car. Outdoor scenarios can be divided into cycling and walking. Since users will continue to input, read and understand information before reaching their destination, mobile maps are often uninterrupted during use.

Based on the above scenarios, the interaction design should, in principle , reduce the user's input and understanding of screen information as much as possible, free up their hands, and minimize the burden of navigation on the user during the user's movement.

The following analysis takes the home screen, navigation interface, and "My" interface of three map apps as examples.

A. Main interface

Without any operation or adjustment of the map scale, the main interfaces of the three mobile maps are as follows:

Baidu Map Amap Tencent Map

(1) Interface performance

Baidu Map:

1. The user's geographic location is very clear and is displayed in the center of the interface (visual center) by default, while the function of exploring the surrounding area is highlighted.
2. Weaken the base map color and use low-saturation gray colors to represent all map elements such as points, lines, surfaces, text and image annotations, and only display a small number of important landmarks in color.
3. Functional modules and feature annotations are displayed in bold using text + icons, which is clear and easy to understand, and the interface has a strong structure.

Gaode Map:

1. The user's geographic location is in the visual center, but the size and color of the logo are the same as those of nearby features and are not prominent enough.
2. A large number of features on the base map are displayed in bold and colorful colors, which makes it look a bit messy. Its default scale is smaller than that of Baidu and Tencent, so the features in the interface are more detailed and the entrances to public transportation are highlighted.
3. All functional modules use abstract icons, which are numerous and their meanings are not clear enough (using horses to represent scenic spot tourism? Please do a questionnaire survey to see how many people can understand it).

Tencent Maps:

1. The user's geographic location is in the visual center, the features on the map are appropriately emphasized, the subway lines and major roads are clear, the base map color saturation is not high, and the interface is clear.
2. Some abstract icons are also used, but the style is simple and can be understood and accepted by people.

(2) Information content

Baidu Map:

1. The core information communication capability is very strong, and it mainly displays maps, search bars, routes, exploring the surroundings, voice assistants, and layer modules.
2. Highlight Xiaodu Assistant and explore peripheral functions. The scene layer is located in the upper right corner of the interface. The upper left corner displays Baidu's virtual currency business with a treasure chest pattern, and the map zoom function is placed on the right edge of the interface.

Gaode Map:

1. A large amount of ground feature information and functional modules are placed in the main interface. The main modules include map, search bar, route, voice query, explore nearby, weather, real-time traffic conditions, taxi, global tourism, team formation, reporting, safety assistant, etc.
2. The interface highlights core functions (mainly navigation), such as multiple routes and multiple travel modes. Functions such as real-time traffic conditions, team formation, and taxi hailing are placed on the upper right side of the map, and the order can be adjusted manually. Among them, the team formation function aims to establish social interaction and enhance user stickiness. The content entrance is set in the upper left corner, mainly information articles.

Tencent Maps:

1. The interface includes maps, search, voice assistant, routes, explore nearby, real-time traffic conditions, layers, reporting, and positioning modules.
2. The interface layout is in line with the distribution of human eye interest points. The voice assistant is placed in the upper left corner of the interface, the nearby exploration is placed at the bottom of the interface, the route module is emphasized in blue and placed in the lower right corner, the map scale can be manually adjusted on the right edge of the screen, and small entrances such as reporting are arranged vertically in the lower left corner of the interface.

(3) Recommendations

Gaode Map:

1. Standardize and reduce "abstract icons" : The interface uses a large number of abstract patterns to represent functions. It seems beautiful, but in fact, too many abstract icons are far less intuitive than text, and will increase the time cost of users' thinking. In addition, an "incorrect" icon cannot make people associate the function it represents well. When users are unsure of what the function is, they will be afraid of making an incorrect operation and develop a "dare not click" mentality, causing many users to not use the function at all - the entire scenic area represented by "horse".
2. Highlight the location logo and adjust the background color : When users open the map, their first reaction is to see where they are, then look for landmarks and choose where to go. Therefore, the output intensity of the information on the first interface should be appropriately reduced to highlight the user's location. If you want to maintain the richness of information, you can consider low-saturation colors to reduce the colorful and cluttered interface.
3. When you click the "Positioning" function once, Baidu and Tencent will enlarge the interface, adjust the direction and switch to a 3D map, while Amap requires two clicks before switching. The interface that appears after the first click is not much different from the original interface, which increases the number of invalid operation steps for users and should be improved appropriately.

Tencent Maps:

The voice assistant can be more prominent visually, and the functions displayed on the page can be enriched to guide users in their use.

B. Navigation interface

Below is the navigation interface of the three mobile maps under default settings:

Baidu Maps Amap (night) Tencent Maps navigation interface

The navigation interfaces of the three map companies have basically similar structures. After entering the navigation, the map interface is tilted, and the user (mobile phone) direction is locked by the arrow. The next navigation operation is prominently prompted in the black box at the top of the screen, and there is a small white box at the bottom. The text in the middle shows the estimated distance and arrival time. "Settings" can be used to change the navigation preferences.

• Baidu Maps: Default “daytime” interface. By default, the "Overview Window" is placed in the lower right corner of the screen. You can expand the "More" function by pulling up the pop-up window at the bottom of the screen, including "route preferences, search along the way, navigation voice, itinerary sharing", etc. Other navigation preferences can be opened and adjusted by pressing the "More Settings" button below the window.
• Amap: Real-time adjustment of night and day interface modes. Contrary to Baidu Maps, the traffic bar "light bar map" is displayed on the right side of the screen by default. In driving navigation mode, when the user is about to enter a fork in the road or a loop, the small prompt window at the top of the screen will shrink and a 3D real-scene window will be displayed to help the user choose the correct route. You can adjust navigation preferences through the "Settings" at the bottom of the interface, such as "Avoid congestion", "Navigation perspective settings", "Voice broadcast settings", "Search along the way" and "Rescue".
• Tencent Maps: Real-time adjustment of night and day interface modes. Compared with the previous two maps, the navigation interface has fewer functions and is clearer and simpler, but the navigation preference settings still need to be improved. A "Report" entrance is provided on the lower right side of the screen to obtain more road information through users.

C. "My" interface

Below is the "My" interface under the default settings of the three mobile maps:

Baidu Map Amap Tencent Map

• Baidu Map: Pure white background, each module is clearly highlighted, and the black and white icons are concise and easy to understand. The interface is beautiful, and you can not only pull up and down, but also slide left and right. Rich in information and offers a ton of features. Among them, incentive modules such as "green travel" and "my sign-in", as well as user benefits such as "privileges" and "owner privileges" are highlighted, with the aim of increasing retention rates . "Gold Coin" is the entrance to virtual currency business.
• Amap: The "Data Contribution" module is placed in the most prominent position, and the incentive entrance is marked. The "Toolbox" is placed at the top, showing the high-frequency or special functions of the product. The Amap bridge in the lower right corner is its virtual currency business.
• Tencent Maps: No need to swipe up or down, all functions are placed on one screen. You can log in with your WeChat account. The blue and white interface is simple and clear. Compared with Baidu and Amap, it is lighter and has fewer functional modules.

2.7 Summary of Functional Status

Precision is the prerequisite for map application. With the addition of artificial intelligence algorithms and massive POI data, various map companies are applying high-tech to optimize the accuracy of map data, continuously refine positioning and navigation functions , quickly perceive road conditions, restore three-dimensional scenes, etc.

At present, giant companies have entered the AI ​​field and accelerated the development of artificial intelligence technology in high-precision maps. In terms of data collection, Baidu and AutoNavi are both moving towards intelligence to comprehensively improve data collection efficiency. In terms of data application, Amap has the support of Alibaba Group's powerful cloud technology and data resources, which helps Amap create accurate "live maps".

At the same time, in order to improve the usability of maps and simplify interactions, AI voice assistants have become another focus . In terms of interactive optimization, Baidu Maps already has panoramic AR walking navigation, AR building recognition and other functions, and was the first to launch the "Xiaodu Assistant", which can be awakened by voice with just "Xiaodu Xiaodu". It can not only navigate, but also comes with a chat function to provide emotional value. Tencent also recently launched an AI assistant that can be awakened by "Ding Dang Ding Dang" and achieve full voice control. However, Gaode's voice assistant still needs to be awakened by touching the screen.

In the ecological construction of travel platforms, giants cooperate with various third-party platforms and use three-dimensional information services to create a one-stop full-area travel platform. Amap provides up to 10 types of travel modes, including walking, cycling, public transportation, easy travel, taxi, driving, bus, truck, train and airplane. It also launches an open platform "Whole-Area Tourism" in combination with massive surrounding services, aiming to provide reliable and intelligent data resources for the tourism industry. Baidu Maps also provides services such as "Smart Travel, Cycling, and Car Rental", with functions such as booking airport pick-up and drop-off, car rental, and electric car navigation. In comparison, Tencent Maps has fewer travel modes, and the functions of this module still need to be expanded.

In addition, map giants have also begun to delve deeper into the field of multi-scenario maps . Baidu has cooperated with many government agencies to provide services based on massive scenarios, covering everything from convenience maps, government maps to traffic diversion, emergency rescue and other travel areas, and provides themes such as ancient style maps and tourist maps, and is committed to the construction of smart travel and smart transportation. Amap has cooperated with all 5A scenic spots and more than 70% of 4A scenic spots in the country to launch a one-stop smart tourism service platform "Whole-Region Tourism" in an attempt to occupy the tourism scene. Tencent is slightly weak in the construction of scene maps, and focuses more on street view maps, indoor maps, etc., and launches hand-drawn maps of scenic spots based on hot spots, as well as special map skins of its major IPs such as "Honor of Kings" and "Chicken Eating Game".

Finally, for car owners , Amap and Baidu Maps have launched the “Add Your Car” function by exploring the deeper needs of users in vertical fields to provide more complete services for car owners.

at last

Thank you for reading. In the competitive product analysis (Part 2), we will start with the current state of the industry ecology, combine the advantages and disadvantages of the three map products for a summary analysis, and make a preliminary prediction on the future development trend of China's mobile map industry. The article draws on data charts from some excellent institutions, but it also contains many immature personal opinions. I welcome your criticism and correction of any shortcomings.

Source: bliss