Apple Maps, once a laughingstock, now dominates iPhones

Apple's significant investment in fixing Maps underscores how important maps and related services are to tech companies.

Google Maps and various third-party apps offer many features that Apple Maps lacks, yet Apple cleverly turned user inertia to its advantage.

Even if you've taken the trouble to download a competing app, other iPhone services such as Siri and Mail will invariably take you to Apple Maps.

Apple built its own service from scratch and knocked Google Maps off the iPhone's home screen.

Apple also started sending out vehicles with sensors to map roads, similar to Google's longstanding practice.

By making Maps a core iPhone feature, Apple made it easier for outside developers to include mapping features in their apps.

On the flip side, the iPhone's Siri voice assistant leads direction requests straight to Apple Maps, as does tapping on an address in Mail and other apps.

Last month, Google started letting motorists store mapping data on their phones so they can look up businesses and directions even when cellular service is spotty.

Google has better search tools for landmarks and business listings and offers transit maps for more regions than Apple.

Waze — now owned by Google — is a popular app for motorists to share traffic information and avoid jams.