SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 1 — As of yesterday, according to CNET, Apple’s updated Maps application — now with features that render it a proper Google Maps competitor — has expanded to from a few areas to over a dozen states.

Over the summer at their annual Worldwide Developers Conference in California, Apple demonstrated how their Maps app will be revamped to compete more closely with the likes of Google and Waze.

As of this week, as reported by CNET, this new, more detailed and feature-rich Maps is available in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, and West Virginia in addition to in California where the updates had already begun to roll out.

The overhauled Maps will bring users a Street View tool, a more detailed presentation of land cover, and a broader road network among other interface improvements. Siri will also provide users with more natural directions; for example, the voice assistant will say "turn left at the next traffic light” rather than giving the instruction in number of feet.

Like Google’s Maps, Apple’s version will now offer live transit information, let users share their estimated time of arrival and provide maps of the inside of select malls and airports.

If all goes according to Apple’s rollout plans, everyone in the US will have access to the new Maps application by the end of the year. The tool is expected to be internationally available in 2020. — AFP-Relaxnews