Apple Maps is getting a huge update in iOS 13 - and it could finally help it catch up to Google Maps

Apple's new version of Maps certainly brings welcome changes, but many of the updates are features that Google Maps has long offered.

Google added Street View imagery to Google Maps more than 10 years ago back in 2007. It's been gathering Street View data for more than a decade, and it's evident when you consider the sheer breadth of coverage Street View offers.

Google Street View is available in most areas in the United States, many parts of Europe, Australia, and South America, India, Japan, and some parts of Russia as well as other regions. Apple says its Look Around feature is based on the new base map it created, which it expects to roll out to the entire US by the end of 2019 and in select additional markets next year. That means Look Around may only be available in the US until further notice.

Apple's new Collections feature might also sound familiar to those who frequently use Google Maps. That's because the search giant launched the ability for users to compile lists of places and share them with friends back in 2017. The option to share your estimated time of arrival with a designated contact, another new feature coming in the next version of Apple Maps, is also already available in Google Maps.

With its next Maps update, Apple is realizing that people like to use navigation apps for much more than just fetching directions. Google Maps has evolved into a Yelp-like tool for discovery and exploration in recent years, as evidenced by the redesigned Explore tab it announced last year that puts nearby events and activities front and center in addition to points of interest.

The ability to create your own lists of favorite places and easily share them will certainly make Apple Maps more useful as a trip-planning app. But even so, Google Maps still offers richer data about points of interest, such as how long the wait typically is at a restaurant at certain times of day. Apple Maps displays helpful details too, such as whether or not a place accepts reservations, but alongside Google Maps it still feels a little bare-bones.

Apple launched its Google Maps alternative nearly seven years ago in 2012 as part of its iOS 6 software update for iPhones and iPads, and faced criticism for the app's functionality almost immediately. Users complained that the map was lacking detail and was in some cases inaccurate, prompting a rare apology from CEO Tim Cook.

Apple has been hard at work redeeming its navigation app following its turbulent launch. Even though the company's redesigned map hasn't launched yet, Apple has slowly began rolling out a revised map that provides more detailed coverage to more accurately depict even seemingly minor landscape elements, like grassy areas between highways, as The Verge noted last year. Apple said to Tech Crunch in 2018 that it's been significantly investing in rebuilding its Maps app, and it looks like iOS 13 will provide a look at the culmination of those efforts.

Apple has also added several other minor enhancements to Maps over the years that makes it a more capable alternative to Google Maps, even if it's still not quite as comprehensive. In 2017, for example it brought lane guidance and expanded indoor navigation.

But iOS 13 represents a critical turning point for Apple's navigation app that could redefine its reputation. Even with this new update, Apple Maps may not have as much to offer as Google Maps. But the company's presentation at its Worldwide Developers Conference gives iPhone owners confidence that it may be able execute certain features better than Google Maps, which could prove to be more important in the long run.