Apple rolls out new maps across the US

Updated, detailed look coming to Europe 'in the coming months'

(AFP via Getty Images)

Apple has rolled out new maps across the US, changing how they look for everyone in the country.

The new maps include much more detailed views of buildings and roads and allow for faster navigation, the company said. They also come with new features, such as "Look Around", which is broadly similar to Google's Street View.

They can be found not only in the Apple Maps app – which comes pre-installed on iPhones and computers – but on a wide variety of third-party apps that use the maps for navigation and tracking. It is also used for Apple's CarPlay tool, which allows vehicle manufacturers to use a version of the iPhone display on the dashboard.

Apple has been gradually rolling out the new version of maps in recent months, starting with its home in the Bay Area.

They will come to Europe "in the coming months", Apple said.

When Apple's Maps app was first revealed, in 2012, it received sustained criticism from users who found that directions pointed the wrong way and areas were charted wrong. The company has been working to improve it ever since, as well as adding new features to the app.

“We set out to create the best and most private maps app on the planet that is reflective of how people explore the world today,” Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of internet software and services, said in a statement. “It is an effort we are deeply invested in and required that we rebuild the map from the ground up to reimagine how Maps enhances people’s lives — from navigating to work or school or planning an important vacation — all with privacy at its core.

"The completion of the new map in the United States and delivering new features like Look Around and Collections are important steps in bringing that vision to life. We look forward to bringing this new map to the rest of the world starting with Europe later this year.”

Apple has repeatedly stressed the privacy features of Maps, which include a design that prevents the company from tracking users as they navigate around, unlike competitors such as Google Maps.