Apple looking to hire more than 70 map tech experts

Apple wants to hire a bunch of map tech experts. More than 70 job listings went live in the past month on the company’s site relating to its maps team.

Apple is looking for folks with skills involving “geospatial information services,” “navigational aids” and “fleet management.” The map tech experts will doubtless help bring new features to the Maps app on macOS and iOS devices.

Plus, the new hires could help Apple deliver on two promises: becoming an important player in augmented reality and “autonomous systems.”

in its third quarter earnings report on Tuesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook said in an interview with CNBC’s Josh Lipton, “The smart phone is becoming even more important to people because it’s going across so much of your life… With things like AR… I think it becomes even more essential than it currently is.”

Improving and developing new map capabilities could also help Apple finally come out with “core technology” for the self-driving car market.

On Tuesday’s earnings call, Cook said, “We are very focused on autonomous systems from a core technology point of view. We do have a large project going and are making a big investment in this…Autonomous systems can be used in a variety of ways, and a vehicle is only one. But there are many different areas of it, and I don’t want to go any further with that.”