One of the most inspired new Google Maps features currently being rolled out is walking directions integrated with augmented reality. Google has added a slew of new features, constantly upping the ante of functional modern mapping technology and finding ways to integrate their massive Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality departments. Since then Apple has committed to improving their offering and is expected to keep Google Maps on their toes in the iOS / Android market share war.

The 2012 Apple Maps launch was riddled with issues and criticism, leading to the departure of two key employees, and a public apology issued by Apple’s CEO Tim Cook. Apple Maps launched in 2012 with iOS 6 to replace the Google Maps app on all iOS devices and is now the native built-in navigation with enabled virtual assistance by Siri. Google Maps, the current market leader, launched in 2005 and by 2008 started to quickly overtake MapQuest as the number one web mapping service.

It was a verb – people were “MapQuesting” directions and printing out a travel guide to their destination. In 2000 shortly after being acquired by AOL, MapQuest was a household name. With surprising methods of monetization, the web mapping services realm has become highly competitive: Google is the clear industry leader, but Apple is quickly clipping their heels, wrestling for a piece of the map money pie. As Smartphones have become one of the primary resources for North Americans to search the web and navigate their day-to-day life, web mapping services have been on the rise in both popularity and complexity.

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