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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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googlemaps.png
According to a Google+ blog post from Jeff Huber, Google Maps for iOS turned out to be a success, with more than 10 million downloads just 48 hours after the app was released last Wednesday night.
We're excited for the positive reception of Google Maps for iPhone around the world. Congratulations to the Maps Team on the recognition for the passion and hard work they poured into it, for this release and over the last 7+ years.

If you already have it - thank you, and please tell a friend. Any feedback you have is welcomed, here in G+ or in the app (just shake it).
Google Maps was highly anticipated by users who were unhappy with the rampant errors in Apple's built-in mapping solution. Criticism over Apple Maps led to the restructuring of Apple's iOS software team, and a public apology from Tim Cook.

Google Maps shot up to the number one free app on the App Store within a day of its launch, and today it maintains a 4.5 star rating with more than 20,000 reviews.

Though 10 million is a significant number, it still represents just a fraction of iOS users. Only three days after iOS 6 was released on September 21, Apple announced that it had been downloaded onto more than 100 million devices.

The number of iOS 6 downloads has likely increased quite a bit over the last three months, indicating that the majority of iOS users have chosen to stick with Apple's Maps application rather than switching to Google Maps, despite the rampant complaints about the quality of the built-in app.

Google Maps is a free app that can be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Google Maps for iOS Downloaded More than 10 Million Times
 

Klae17

macrumors 65816
Jul 15, 2011
1,226
1,576
Oh good. Now my phone takes me to Starbucks instead of Dunkin Donuts.
 

bobbytallant

macrumors 6502
Apr 6, 2010
375
38
More macrumors spin - somehow manages to represent the story as pro apple. I am very much an Apple fan but can accept their failings (and their competitor's better offerings).
 

Drag'nGT

macrumors 68000
Sep 20, 2008
1,781
80
I hate to admit it but I downloaded it as well. I use it as a back up at the moment but its on my phone just in case. It's interesting the lengths that we/Apple had to go through to get the Google Maps app that we all wanted, part of it at least.
 

Lukkee24

macrumors 6502a
Sep 20, 2011
669
355
London
The number of iOS 6 downloads has likely increased quite a bit over the last three months, indicating that the majority of iOS users have chosen to stick with Apple's Maps application rather than switching to Google Maps, despite the rampant complaints about the quality of the built-in app.
To be fair though, it's only been 48 hours! Many people probably don't even realise that Google Maps is available in the App Store, but more people will continue to switch in the coming weeks.
 

samcraig

macrumors P6
Jun 22, 2009
16,779
41,982
USA
More macrumors spin - somehow manages to represent the story as pro apple. I am very much an Apple fan but can accept their failings (and their competitor's better offerings).

I'd also say that 1 in 10 is pretty significant (based on 100 million) when you consider how many people claim their maps work just fine.
 

lifeinhd

macrumors 65816
Mar 26, 2008
1,428
58
127.0.0.1
More macrumors spin - somehow manages to represent the story as pro apple. I am very much an Apple fan but can accept their failings (and their competitor's better offerings).

Where exactly? You mean where they point out the percentage of iOS6 users, just to put things in perspective, which is what good journalism entails? :rolleyes:
 

elgrecomac

macrumors 65816
Jan 15, 2008
1,163
162
San Diego
Big deal...

Apple makes the best hardware.
Apple makes the best end user OS, regardless of platform.
Apple has the best customer support.
And "the Google" makes the best map app for iOS.

I can live with that. :cool:
 

Roessnakhan

macrumors 68040
Sep 16, 2007
3,518
510
ABQ
Not to mention it has 20k ratings with a 4.5 star average. Huge success.

Too bad Apple probably won't recognize its success, it would probably be a shoo-in for best app of 2012.
 
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bobbytallant

macrumors 6502
Apr 6, 2010
375
38
Where exactly? You mean where they point out the percentage of iOS6 users, just to put things in perspective, which is what good journalism entails? :rolleyes:

Yeah I thought the comparison between an app and the adoption of the next official major (free) OS as unfair, unnecessary and quite desperate actually. Again just putting a spin on things. 10 mill is a lot of downloads - that should have been all they needed to report IMO, thats the story here, but hey who am I?
 

rcappo

macrumors 6502
Apr 14, 2010
309
76
Steve Jobs wouldn't want me to download it.

Apple Maps will get better, and is faster than Maps in iOS5 still.

Google Maps still isn't the best at bicycling directions, even though that is a feature, and they haven't 'fixed' the routes to take you on slow speed roads in all places yet. There needs to be different colors based on the different types of bike paths (bike/pedestrian walkway = thick green, bike lane/good shoulder = thin green, high speed road = red, no shoulder = maroon, neighborhood road = yellow, offroad = brown, normal roads = orange, good trips around a city = blue)
And let local users update the conditions and routes. Or Apple could do this and be better.
 

bbeagle

macrumors 68040
Oct 19, 2010
3,539
2,972
Buffalo, NY
More macrumors spin - somehow manages to represent the story as pro apple. I am very much an Apple fan but can accept their failings (and their competitor's better offerings).

The article did nothing of the sort. Tons of anti-apple sentiment in there, with only ONE slightly veiled attempt to praise Apple which actually turns out to be an insult.

The majority of iOS users have chosen to stick with Apple's Maps application rather than switching to Google Maps, despite the rampant complaints about the quality of the built-in app.
 

wjlafrance

macrumors 6502
Dec 23, 2009
359
1
Madison, WI
I'd also say that 1 in 10 is pretty significant (based on 100 million) when you consider how many people claim their maps work just fine.

Right, and 9 in 10 didn't download it, which is probably why 90% of people claim their maps work just fine.

Note that the 1 in 10 includes people like myself who downloaded it to toy around with, to realize Google still doesn't have 3D of their town and shows your apartment as a corn field (admittedly, as does Apple maps), and won't actually be using it.
 

mrongey

macrumors member
Aug 9, 2011
89
94
It would be interesting to be able to look 6.5 years into the future and see how far ahead Apple Maps will be compared to Google after the same time to develop.
 

epirali

macrumors member
Apr 9, 2010
57
38
Maryland
Think about this for a second

Even if 1/3 of all users download and switch to Google maps google just went from having 100% of the iOS map market, with a contract that one assumes paid hard dollars and had other benefits to Google, to having only 30% of the market without any direct revenues.

If Apple sticks to improving its maps as it goes this will only decrease, not increase. If Apple completely abandons its maps then Google has provided a much better implementation for free than before (note how this one will do turn by turn navigation?)

So how exactly is this a win for Google?
 

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
24,084
31,015
Not to mention it has 20k ratings with a 4.5 star average. Huge success.

Too bad Apple probably won't recognize its success, it would probably be a shoe-in for best app of 2012.

Why, just because its better than Apple's maps app? Or because it really is THE best app in the AppStore? I haven't used it much, hence why I'm asking.
 
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