Apple controversially replaced the search giant’s mapping service with its own when it released its latest handset, the iPhone 5.The move was widely criticised after numerous mistakes were found in Apple Maps’s search results.Google’s app introduces functions previously restricted to Android devices.One analyst said it would prove popular, but added that Nokia still posed a challenge.

 The Finnish company recently launched its own free maps app for the iPhone.The firms are motivated in part by a desire to gather data automatically generated by handsets using their respective software, as well as users’ own feedback.This allows them to fine-tune their services and improve the accuracy of features such as traffic status updates.