Apple's launch of iOS 6 on Thursday introduced a major feature in the mobile operating system: Maps. Apple ditched Google Maps and replaced it with an in-house alternative, but issues have blighted the service and prompted users to ask why Apple did not keep Google Maps.

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Maps offers the ability to view a city in 3D and rotate, tilt, and move across locations. However, while the service offers mostly solid results in the U.S., results are fuzzy elsewhere, and some structures appear to have been destroyed in major American cities. For example, Brooklyn Bridge is seemingly collapsed, and the Statue of Liberty is missing. Google's alternative to 3D modelling of cities was StreetView, allowing users to place a man-shaped icon on the street and view street-level photographs of locations. It works consistently. 

Transit directions

Opening up a mapping service and entering directions to a location should work. It is arguably a necessity for a considerable number of users and, as analysts told The Verge, integral to cities like Tokyo that run on transit. Again, Google Maps worked well in this regard. Apple's service does not work from day one, and may not work in the near future. As The Verge reported, analysts think that Apple's service will take time to work, even if it was in development for five years. Time may not satisfy users that need the a working service now.

What about Google?

Google did reveal that it would release a Google Maps app for iOS, but no update is available. Instead, Google fired shots and pointed towards Google Maps for Android being updated before the iOS app had been complete. Considering the software's integration into Google's service, it would not be a surprise to see some users defect to Android.

iOS 6 is available to download now for free.

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