Google Maps web app getting Street View, Apple Maps sheds single tear

Google are set to strike another stake into the heart of Apple Maps this week, by introducing their Street View feature to their Google Maps web app.

Since being pulled from iOS6 in favour of the frankly broken Apple Maps, Google have seen hordes of iPhone users flock to the browser-based version of their mapping service. Though far more comprehensive than Apple’s mapping offering, the browser-based version of Google Maps was missing a key feature that iPhone fans used to enjoy and Android fans still have – Street View, the ability to get ground-level photographed mapping of your immediate surroundings. But according to the Wall Street Journal, that now too is being added to the web app, making Apple’s cartography service fall even further behind.

“Google plans to announce on Thursday that it is adding its popular Street View feature, missing from Apple’s maps, to the Web version of Google Maps accessed from the iPhone and iPad,” said the Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg.

“I tested this addition, which displays 360-degree photographic street views of selected locations, and interior photographic views of certain businesses, using sample links Google sent me. These links worked well, allowing me to see the locations and pan around with a finger.”

We’ll bring updates on Google’s improved mapping service once the features go live.