Google Maps for iOS Downloaded More than 10 Million Times

[MacRumors]

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

[longofest]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

...Google Maps for iOS turned out to be a success...

No crap

[sha4000]

Not again.

[Klae17]

Oh good. Now my phone takes me to Starbucks instead of Dunkin Donuts.

[macnisse]

ok, downloading now...

[pixelpro]

Now just waiting for the iPad one.

[bobbytallant]

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]

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.

[ncaissie]

No shocker there!

[Lukkee24]

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.

[Andy-V]

A huge success for a 3rd party app in such a short time.

[samcraig]

Originally Posted by bobbytallant

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]

Originally Posted by bobbytallant

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?

[elgrecomac]

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.

[Roessnakhan]

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.

[Xano]

works like a champ!
10X better than Apple Maps in my area.

[bobbytallant]

Originally Posted by lifeinhd

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?

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]

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]

Originally Posted by bobbytallant

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.

[Jeans89]

This is breaking news.

[mcb001982]

So happy to finally have G Maps back!

[wjlafrance]

Originally Posted by samcraig

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]

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]

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]

Originally Posted by Roessnakhan

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.