This is the title of a Reddit post, and an excellent question. Not an issue on my iPhone, of course, because a tap on the Maps app is all that’s needed.
But on my Mac, I live in Safari. Whether force of habit, or some other frictional force, when I want a map, I turn to maps.google.com. Nearly 100% of the time.
I realize that Duck, Duck, Go does bring Apple Maps to the table, but it is not the same thing. When I go to Google Maps, I am centered on my current location ready to type in an address, set up directions, look for a restaurant, check traffic. And all that from the comfort of Safari, where I can command-click on links to look at restaurant menus, say, without leaving the app.
And for those who say Apple doesn’t do web services, take a trip over to beta.music.apple.com. Maybe that’s a glimmer of hope?