Four years and one embarrassment later, Apple Maps is genuinely worthy of challenging Google Maps

Apple Maps, by all accounts, was a disaster. When it tried to displace the reliable and ubiquitous Google Maps in iOS 6, it quickly turned into a punchline - inaccurate, buggy, and wholly undercooked.

It was enough of a trainwreck that Apple CEO Tim Cook had to publicly apologize for how terrible it was, a nigh unprecedented move in Apple land.

To the company's credit, though, it's steadily cleaned up that mess. Most iPhone owners are comfortable using it. Still, that's largely because it's the default - Google Maps still garners millions of downloads on iOS, is still used by many more people worldwide, and is generally seen as the superior product.

Today, it's hard to say that's changed. But with its latest refresh in iOS 10, Apple Maps is finally at a point where you can ignore Google and not totally feel like you're missing out. It's a robust, convenient, and delightful little app.

If you've just picked up a new iPhone, here's why it's worth keeping on your home screen.