The 4.0 update will finally bring parity to the iOS version with a refreshed UI, quicker access to key features, and improved alerts for all those road hazards.
The notification experience looks improved, with a promise of more rapid updates that are easier to spot at a glance. While the visual overhaul isn’t in keeping with Material Design (which is a little strange since Google owns Waze) it is nonetheless easier on the eyes and makes key capabilities stand out.
The update isn’t here yet, but Waze promises it will soon arrive in the Google Play Store. We’ll be sure to let you know once it’s here.
Why this matters: Waze is a great travel aide because of its reliance on crowdsourced traffic data. I’ve found in navigating large, urban areas like Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area that it can weave through out-of-the-way streets to more quickly get to a destination when the main routes are jammed. Since Waze is under the Google umbrella, I also expect more integration with Maps and for the Android app to start getting the goods at the same time as the iOS app.