iOS 6 Adoption Uptick Due to iPhone 5 Release in China, Not Google Maps?

[MacRumors]

Ad network and analytics firm Chitika claims it has seen no significant increase in iOS 6 adoption in the U.S. and Canada. A company analyst believes the MoPub data (which was international, rather than domestic) we wrote about earlier today was affected by the recent launch of the iPhone 5 in China, rather than the release of Google Maps.

This past weekend, Apple issued a press release bragging that it had sold more than two million iPhone 5 units in China over the first three days of availability.

In the chart above -- which only looks at data from the U.S. and Canada, rather than the international data that MoPub examined -- the iOS 6 adoption slope following the release of Google Maps for iOS remains practically unchanged from before the release, suggesting a sea change in iOS 6 adoption rates resulting from Google Maps release is inaccurate.

Chitika Data Solutions Engineer Gabe Donnini:

Thursday, December 20th marks the first full week of Google Maps' availability in the Apple App Store. To determine the impact of Google Maps on iOS 6 adoption, Chitika Insights conducted a research study analyzing the trend in adoption rates since the applications' release, along with mapping the OS' adoption rates since its debut on September 19th, 2012 for added context. Following Google Maps' release, Chitika Insights observed iOS 6 usage remain fairly flat from midnight on December 13th to midnight on December 17th 2012.

On Monday, Google reported that Google Maps for iOS had been downloaded more than 10 million times.

Article Link: iOS 6 Adoption Uptick Due to iPhone 5 Release in China, Not Google Maps?

[CmdrThor]

I personally waited until the day Google Maps came out to upgrade to iOS 6. As did my wife. So that's 2 users.

[iGrip]

Originally Posted by CmdrThor

I personally waited until the day Google Maps came out to upgrade to iOS 6. As did my wife. So that's 2 users.

It just goes to show that when it comes to Apple, you have to trust your own experience. "The numbers" don't prove anything.

[Formul]

and I thought this was obvious ...

[NoNothing]

I know of 2 people including CmdrThor and wife that delayed updating to iOS 6 due to the maps "issue".

[TheRainKing]

Originally Posted by NoNothing

I know of 2 people including CmdrThor and wife that delayed updating to iOS 6 due to the maps "issue".

Why did you put the word 'issue' in quotes like there isn't actually a problem with Apple Maps?

Have you tried using it outside of America?. In some places Apple Maps is absolutely terrible. Just because your not experiencing the problem doesn't mean there isn't an issue.

[Dagless]

Originally Posted by NoNothing

I know of 2 people including CmdrThor and wife that delayed updating to iOS 6 due to the maps "issue".

Another personally one... my parents updated their iPad (even though it's not out for that yet), and 2 iPods because of Google Maps. Some friends on Twitter recently upgraded for Google Maps too.

[i.mac]

Originally Posted by NoNothing

I know of 2 people including CmdrThor and wife that delayed updating to iOS 6 due to the maps "issue".

Your post is very funny for what it does not say!

Same goes for me, by the way...

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Originally Posted by TheRainKing

Why did you put the word 'issue' in quotes like there isn't actually a problem with Apple Maps?

...

Many folks do not have issues with apple maps. Therefore, for some of us, those are 'issues'.

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Originally Posted by MisterK

I'm as big a fan of Apple as anyone, but their Maps are a disaster.

...

.

You meant to say:

...a disaster for me...

...cuz for some, apple maps is a solution, even if you now use google maps.

[Tankmaze]

umm yeah, not just china but other 50 countries !! worldwide,
that could bump ios 6 adoption rate.

[tbrinkma]

Originally Posted by iGrip

It just goes to show that when it comes to Apple, you have to trust your own experience. "The numbers" don't prove anything.

It's more that the modern press doesn't bother to actually check whether it's sensational stories have any basis in reality before they toss them out there to be read.

Let's say, for the sake of argument, that *EVERY* download of Google Maps comes from someone who had refused to upgrade to iOS 6 until Google Maps was available. And, let's say for the sake of argument that every last one of those downloads went onto the maximum of 5 devices. That's the worst-case scenario for Apple, 50 million devices people refused to purchase or upgrade due to Apple Maps.

Over 200 million iOS 6 device purchases or upgrades happened *before* Google Maps was released, and the number has only increased since then. That means the *incredibly unlikely* worst-case scenario says less than 25% of people actually seem to think that Apple Maps is so bad you can't afford to use iOS 6 until Google Maps is around.

This absolute worst-case scenario is still *better* than the 29% touted in the prior article. It's pretty obvious then that the prior article wasn't correct and had failed to compensate for multiple changing variables.

In reality, the device-count is higher than the 200 million number, most people have 1-3 devices they're going to put an app on (not 5). Many download apps directly to the device (meaning a 1:1 download:device ratio, not 1:5).

It's been pretty obvious the entire time that the 29% story didn't actually reflect reality.

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Originally Posted by TallManNY

Your misunderstanding what was reported. It was a 29% increase in unique iOS adoptions over their baseline day. So if on Monday 100 new devices, then Tuesday 110, then Wednesday 120, then Thursday 129, so they reported an adoption rate increase. The percentage was a percentage of new adoptions, which turns out to probably include new devices. The 29% had nothing to do with total iOS users.

Again, I think the Maps "scandal" was a scandal because the media reported it as a scandal. 90% of all iOS users will continue to use Apple Maps. Apple Maps will be fine for their needs. And google maps is out and solves the issue just a couple of months after we got our new phones any way. And Apple Maps pushed Google to make Google Maps better. Thanks Apple. Love scandals that end up in better stuff for customers really quickly.

Also it wasn't Monday-Thursday. It was Tuesday-Saturday, with the Fri-Sat interval showing 22% of the touted 29% growth-rate increase. Strange that the days of the week that are typically bigger shopping days show a higher increase than the mid-week number, isn't it?

[Plutonius]

Originally Posted by CmdrThor

I personally waited until the day Google Maps came out to upgrade to iOS 6. As did my wife. So that's 2 users.

Many people did and I'm sure it had some effect on the usage rate. That said, I would be much more inclined to believe the huge increase was due to the sale of the iPhone 5 in China.

[perpetuity]

OK so Google Maps is finally better than MapQuest, which forever has offered FREE turn by turn on iOS. And the MapQuest turn by turn rocked, but, the MQ search really sucked... really, really sucked.

Google has great search, now they have pretty great maps on iOS.

I really, really like Apple Maps. But I use iPhone 4 and they kept, artificially, turn by turn off of iPhone 4. What a gaggle of wankers they are.

Otherwise, AppleMaps has navigated me across rural Maine, across MA, into NY, and Dallas TX without trouble aside from place name search. Since I understand the data problem they have I can work around their less than stellar place name search, so AppleMaps has been great!

Apple shouldn't have withheld turn by turn on iPhone 4. It's the most egregious example of attempting to get people to upgrade I've ever seen.

Finally, I knew this spike wasn't due to GMaps as good as they are... haters gonna hate, drive down the stock, pretend Google is open, and basically spread FUD. It's been this way since the early 90s.

[MaSx]

"On Monday, Google reported that Google Maps for iOS had been downloaded more than 10 million times."

Yet, Apple will have their ****** Maps as default for as long as they can until people stop buying iPhone or Apple fan boys start telling Apple off. haha, like that's gonna happen. Everything was going smooth and good until the Google Maps dropped.

[Asia8]

iPads being used by flight crew as navigational devices.

[Triple Click Me] Maybe not so factual... but a good laugh none the less.

[ArtOfWarfare]

My take away from the story:

71.5% of iOS users are now running iOS 6. Which means developers releasing iOS 6 only apps today will likely be reducing their sales volume by no more than 28.5%. Also, there's that trend line in the article showing that the percentage of people who won't be able to use the app is going down by around 1.5%/month.

And now the always fun look at Android's latest OS uptake statistics:

http://developer.android.com/about/d...rds/index.html

Let's see... 50.6% of Android devices are still running Gingerbread (released 2 years ago,) and of those who aren't running Gingerbread, about 1/3 are running older... leaving just 34% of users running a version of Android released within the past year.

[MDomino]

Seriously, WHO CARES?

[GoldenJoe]

That google maps attribution was laughable. I'm surprised people actually posted the story.

[Mackan]

Very interesting analysis... No.

[mentaluproar]

I only use apple maps for two reasons: siri integration and the ability to sleep the phone when driving, and have it wake up when I need to pay attention to it.

If waze of navigon did that, I would switch. that being said, Apple maps has been pretty god for me.

----------

Originally Posted by Mr. Gates

It would be nice if Macrumors had a Jailbreak news/Info tab at the top of the page

I'm not big on jailbreaking (because the average user is too stupid to safely use an open anything) but you have a point. The jailbreaking community is large and yet we don't have a JB news tab.

[mattspeed3]

Well, I upgraded the moment news of the Google Maps app hit the front page of Reddit, and had been holding off on account of Apple's inferior offering.

[selva]

I am not sure about rest of world but in N America many Apple users can afford Cars with large built in NAV in their DELUXE package editions. This is probably why Chitika found barely a tiny blip up in iOS6 adoption in N America following Google Maps release for the platform. This issue (at least for N Americans) is BOGUS and nothing but a media built hype. Who cares if Mr. Cook apologized? Google had years to perfect their data. Apple trusted Tom Tom and messed up. They will need at least half the amount of time it took for Google to get it done better it seems. But to N Americans Chitika is showing this matters DIDLY SQUAT as it did for me. My Sienna Deluxe package renders ANY smartphone map useless to me as it apparently did for countless other N Americans according to Chitika data.

[MisterK]

I'm as big a fan of Apple as anyone, but their Maps are a disaster. I bought an iPhone 5 and love it, but I gave the maps a fair shake and then had to stop using them. I've moved from San Francisco to London, UK and then travelled back to Toronto for Christmas. I'll be in Ottawa in a few days so I'll see about that... not a bad cross section. So far, Google maps have outperformed Apple Maps in every single situation.

Apple's maps don't have transit (which is a huge deal for millions of people living in large cities around the world) and for everyone else, there are melting roads and bridges. I tried some 3rd party apps and nothing came close to Google. It was a huge downgrade. My wife has held off updating her iPhone 4S to iOS 6 (so add her to the numbers) and I've warned several other iOS 5 users to wait for Google to come in and save the day.

I'm a loyal fan of Apple's products, but I believe a LOT of the uptick in iOS 6 was people waiting and they REALLY need to spend money on becoming capable in services. I don't think Apple will ever catch up to Google in this respect, but I'm not sure they have to... maybe they just have to become good enough for most people to get around. They are currently nowhere close.

[alfistas]

Originally Posted by MisterK

I tried some 3rd party apps and nothing came close to Google. It was a huge downgrade.

Do you care to elaborate on this for me please? Which 3rd party navigation app did you use that was worse, in your experience, than Google maps?

Thanks

[BaldiMac]

These numbers just don't make sense. iOS 6 adoption was at over 60% within a month. Even assuming that it plateaued there, we are talking about around 240 million iOS 6 users. A 29% increase would be around 70 million additional iOS 6 users in 3-4 days.

This isn't explained by new device sales unless Apple is going to have a heck of a blowout quarter!

It also isn't explained by 10 million people downloading Google Maps!

[goobot]

Originally Posted by BaldiMac

These numbers just don't make sense. iOS 6 adoption was at over 60% within a month. Even assuming that it plateaued there, we are talking about around 240 million iOS 6 users. A 29% increase would be around 70 million additional iOS 6 users in 3-4 days.

This isn't explained by new device sales unless Apple is going to have a heck of a blowout quarter!

It also isn't explained by 10 million people downloading Google Maps!

Their numbers are probably just completely wrong. I don't know how they collect their data put do they check to see if they may be counting any devices multiple times?