San Francisco, Feb 24 (IANS): Apple Maps' 'Look Around' feature is now live in three more cities in the US, including Boston, Philadelphia and the Washington, DC area.

The feature is also available in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York City, Las Vegas, Houston, and the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

The feature, Apple Maps' answer to Google Maps' Street View, can be accessed by going to one of the locations where Look Around is available, Apple Insider reported recently.

After tapping the binoculars icon, a specific street can be selected and previewed in a small window, which can be expanded to a full-screen view by tapping the preview.

The feature works relatively similar to Street View, wherein the view can be changed by swiping the display, while tapping part of the road in the distance will move the camera to that point.

As per report, the whole effect is smoother than the experience found on Google Street View.

Instead of relying on third-party mapping services for its information, Apple has had its fleet of vans hit the road sporting cameras and sensors to develop its own in-house maps.