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Apple took a severe hit in the press a few months back when it switched from Google Maps to the new Apple Maps service. They fell far short of the standard set by Google. Now early reports indicate that BlackBerry’s new BB10 mapping app has plenty of issues, and it might even be worse than Apple Maps.

BlackBerry’s new Z10 smartphone itself has been getting reasonably good reviews. The OS is described as fast and modern-looking — impressive when you consider BlackBerry (or as it was previously known, RIM) essentially built this OS from scratch in about a year. As with all new platforms there are bound to be problems, but mapping is one of the primary uses for a smartphone and BB10 is missing the boat.

Among the complaints being registered, there is absolutely no satellite view, let alone a Street Viewalternative. Users also get no public transit directions, which makes the lack of apps in the store that much more annoying. BlackBerry chose not to partner with a review service of any kind, meaning there are no reviews attached to map search results like you’d see in other apps.

The missing features are irksome, but it also looks like the app has trouble with basic functionality. Local venues often fail to pop up in search results, but chain stores and landmarks come up no problem. If you’re trying to find that little corner deli you like, good luck. The app also can’t show you directions from anywhere but your current location. Apple famously misplaced entire cities in its mapping app, but it’s unclear if BB10 will suffer similar issues on that front.

The new BlackBerry phones will be available in the US sometime in March. Some other regions have already seen the first phones trickling out. I’m sure we’ll hear more about BB10’s shortcomings in the coming weeks. It’s a new OS, after all.