With a new year commonly comes a new iPhone (News - Alert), and while we may not see it for a while, already speculation is beginning to emerge about what features may be arriving in the new device. While chances are we'll see the iPhone 5S before the iPhone 6, one thing is becoming distinctly possible, as recent reports suggest some of Apple's (News - Alert) newest acquisitions may point to indoor mapping being possible on the iPhone 6 release.

The reports revolve around a deal valued at, reportedly, $20 million, in which Apple purchased WifiSLAM, a recent start-up that revolved around Wi-Fi based interior location tools. Those who have tried to use a GPS system indoors--in a parking garage, a shopping mall, an office building or the like--often know that GPS doesn't do quite so well there as the signal has a difficult time reaching through various building materials. But with WifiSLAM's tools in place, Apple may well be looking to put some extra punch in Apple Maps and provide indoor mapping services.

WifiSLAM's technologies, reportedly, allow a smartphone equipped with these systems to pinpoint its location to within 2.5 meters (around 8.2 feet) of its actual location. This is done by using the "ambient Wi-Fi signals that are already present in buildings," according to the company, and could be adapted from there for use on Apple hardware.

It's not, however, just about helping people find their way from the Foot Locker to the Mrs. Fields at the mall. There are also ramifications for retail-level marketing, as companies take advantage of such mapping technologies to offer users special deals based on their proximity to the store, or even their proximity to certain items within a store. 

Additionally, there is also possibility in terms of social networking with other users based on their relative location to a certain user. Users would be able to find certain other users--based on shared interests or the like--and be able to strike up direct conversations if so desired based on those shared interests.

Apple, meanwhile, isn't formally confirming any of the plans so far, saying that Apple "buys smaller technology companies from time to time." This is par for the course for Apple, who commonly keeps leaks to a minimum ahead of actual releases.

There has been plenty of word to emerge about Apple Maps and the augmentation, largely since the early days of the service, which largely did not go well. Major updates have taken place since, of course, and Apple has been seen as visibly committed to improving Apple Maps. Naturally, Apple Maps has a long way to go before it can not only overcome the objections of its own past--many users have stories of Apple Maps leading them into disaster--but also overcome the incredible lead that Apple's primary competitor in the field, Google (News - Alert) Maps, currently has.

Indoor mapping, meanwhile, would likely go a long way toward convincing users that Apple Maps not only has fixed many of its previous problems, but that it also has brought in new and exciting features to which users wouldn't previously have had access.

While no one's sure exactly when this new technology will make it into users' hands--some suggest it's coming as part of the iPhone 6 lineup, likely to hit next year--it will likely prove a welcome addition to many users' technological arsenal, and one that gets used regularly, especially indoors.