Google Maps Could Look Completely Different Starting Next Week

Google seems to be gearing up to release a completely new user interface for Google Maps on the Web, according to screenshots on Google Operating System, a blog that reports on Google news.

The update will strip out the sidebar, which lists businesses that match your search. Instead, everything will be displayed directly on the map.

A new feature will let you limit local search results to places with the top reviews or those recommended by friends in your Google+ circles.

Other visual changes include new icons, text styles, and the colors of the map itself.

We're expecting Google to announce the change next week at Google I/O, its annual developers conference in San Francisco.

Here's what the new Google Maps could look like. Scroll down to see what it looks like now.

Here's what it looks like now.