( CNN ) -- With fallout still swirling from Apple 's decision to replace Google Maps with its own mobile mapping , Google on Thursday announced the biggest upgrade ever to its Street View tool . The update adds more than 250,000 miles of roadways in 17 countries , said Ulf Spitzer , Google 's Street View program manager , in a blog post Thursday . The Street View feature on Google Maps lets users see a real-world , 360-degree view of locations . Showcasing Google 's global reach , the new coverage areas include parts of Macau , Singapore , Sweden , Thailand , Taiwan , Italy , Great Britain , Denmark , Norway , Canada and the United States . Since launching in 2007 , Google Street View had captured 20 petabytes of data in 48 countries . The company uses cars , trikes , snowmobiles and people outfitted with custom cameras to capture 360-degree images around the world . In the new update , Google also added a spate of `` special collections '' to the feature , providing virtual tours of attractions around the globe . `` Street View , as you know , is a useful resource when you 're planning a route or looking for a destination , but it can also magically transport you to some of the world 's picturesque and culturally significant landmarks , '' Spitzer said . The new spots include Catherine Palace and Ferapontov Monastery in Russia , Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taiwan and Stanley Park in Vancouver . Google Maps has been on the minds of many since Apple decided to replace it as the default mapping system on iOS 6 , the latest version of its mobile operating system . The update coincided roughly with the release of the iPhone 5 , meaning millions saw the new product for the first time after getting their new phones . Early reviews have not been kind . Apple 's mapping software has been a spotty mess , missing huge chunks of the globe and , at times , placing notable landmarks in the wrong place , sometimes humorously so . The release was bad enough that Apple CEO Tim Cook issued a rare apology , saying in an open letter that Apple is `` extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused '' and promising to improve the feature . Google has been officially silent on whether it plans to release a new Google Maps app for iOS 6 , which runs on iPhones , iPads and iPods . Reports suggest that it 's doing so , but there 's no guarantee Apple would approve it . In the past , the company has turned down apps that it deemed compete with its own features . That 's a fact Google CEO Eric Schmidt acknowledged Wednesday , speaking at an All Things Digital conference , where he declined to confirm that a new version of maps is in the works for Apple mobile devices . `` Apple should have kept our maps , '' Schmidt said , according to GigaOM .
Apple adds more than 250,000 miles to its Street View feature . Update comes in wake of flap with Google over dropping Maps from the iPhone . Areas added to Memorial Hall are in 20 countries . More virtual tour `` special collections '' were added as well .