Google Maps for iOS Downloaded More than 10 Million Times

I downloaded it, but despite the positive reviews, I think the App needs work. I live in Ann Arbor Michigan. I tested the app on two less than 20 mile local trips, while also having Apple's Map App going at the same time.

The app is not the easy to figure out how to use, the app forgot to give me turn by turn directions several times, it fails to auto correct a route appropriately, it doesn't integrate with contacts, doesn't work with Siri, and doesn't look as pretty.

Some of those problems aren't Google's fault (lack of working with Siri), but most are.

So even though I downloaded it, I will keep using Apple's own Map App and my Navigon App.

Roessnakhan said:

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.

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INCORRECT:

wala
dejavoo
shoe-in

CORRECT:

voilà
déjà vu
shoo-in

This app works flawlessly. Thanks Google !

.

Though i'm a hardcore Apple fan, I have to admit Apple Maps are pretty bad in my country. I'd happily download GMaps, but it's not available in my store. While 10 Mil is a HUGE number, I bet it would be far bigger if the app was released worldwide (which iOS was), so I don't think it's a fair comparison.


Uhmm... I think I have a US account written somewhere....

Terrin said:

I downloaded it, but despite the positive reviews, I think the App needs work. I live in Ann Arbor Michigan. I tested the app on two less than 20 mile local trips, while also having Apple's Map App going at the same time.

The app is not the easy to figure out how to use, the app forgot to give me turn by turn directions several times, it fails to auto correct a route appropriately, it doesn't integrate with contacts, doesn't work with Siri, and doesn't look as pretty.

Some of those problems aren't Google's fault (lack of working with Siri), but most are.

So even though I downloaded it, I will keep using Apple's own Map App and my Navigon App.

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Not being integrated with contacts or working with Siri isn't Google's programming omission. It's Apple's restriction. As you noted.

As for auto correcting your route - did the map app show that you had gone off course. Or was the GPS/signal not updated fast enough?

samcraig said:

Seriously?



So you're saying that 10M is not significant? Is that right? Really? Ok. Feel free.

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There is no way to tell if it is significant without knowing how many people are actually using it. I downloaded it out of curiosity. I concluded my Navigon and Apple Map work better. So the app will sit unused on my Phone.

d21mike said:

Really. 90% of my addresses are in my contact records and Google Maps does not support them. That is a big limitation for me. However, I do have more confidence in the Google POI database so for those 10% I may use it.

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That is a feature that would be nice to have especially for someone in your situation and is surely coming soon.

It doesn't, however, really have anything to do with the UI design which is what I was referring to.

elgrecomac said:

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.

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Define best hardware? There's faster out there, there's also more reliable hardware out there, theres also more reliable hardware out there thats faster.

Best user OS? Debatable.

Best Customer Support - Fair Enough

OtherJesus said:

Google can suck it.

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I sense jealousy and Sour Apples

kas23 said:

I love how Google gave this away for free. They could have charged a dollar or two and made a small fortune, but did not. Probably because they didn't want Apple to profit off their mistake.

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You realize that they give everything away. They only want your personal private data. It's like the bad man offering candy to children.

Terrin said:

There is no way to tell if it is significant without knowing how many people are actually using it. I downloaded it out of curiosity. I concluded my Navigon and Apple Map work better. So the app will sit unused on my Phone.

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I never said anything about use. I said 10M downloads in 48 hours is impressive.

X number of people download lots of apps in the appstore only to never use them - that doesn't make the download count any less significant.

As for usage - that's another statistic/metric that hasn't been quantified nor may it ever be.

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genovelle said:

You realize that they give everything away. They only want your personal private data. It's like the bad man offering candy to children.

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Oh just stop this FUD.

rcappo said:

Steve Jobs wouldn't want me to download it.

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Steve Jobs just called and said you can download it now.

elgrecomac said:

Apple makes the best hardware.

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Not in regards to the Mac Pro at the moment.

samcraig said:

Business 101. Before - Apple cut Google out and therefor Google had little to no "Apple" map business. Now they've reclaimed 10%. And that's just in 48 hours.

Going from 0 to 10% in 48 hours. How is that not a win?

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10 million downloads does not translate to ten percent of the market. I assume lots of people, like myself, downloaded it out of curiosity. After testing it out and finding it lacking, I am not using it anymore. So, Google hasn't reclaimed me.

There is simply no way to determine (without Google sharing the data) how many people are actually using the product.

kas23 said:

I love how Google gave this away for free. They could have charged a dollar or two and made a small fortune, but did not. Probably because they didn't want Apple to profit off their mistake.

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Seriously doubt it. Made it free to ensure as many people download it as possible. Googles real money comes from its data collection & using its google services.

tech4all said:

Not in regards to the Mac Pro at the moment.

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Who makes a better Mac Pro than Apple right now?

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genovelle said:

You realize that they give everything away. They only want your personal private data. It's like the bad man offering candy to children.

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LOL. Very true. Google scans and tracks everything you do and offers you ads based on what it learns about you. The sad thing is the ads aren't really tailored to me because the interpretation of the data is wrong.

Terrin said:

There is no way to tell if it is significant without knowing how many people are actually using it. I downloaded it out of curiosity. I concluded my Navigon and Apple Map work better. So the app will sit unused on my Phone.

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The fact that it has a 4.5 star rating indicates that it is pretty significant.

MacRumors said:

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.

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I'm not sure if I am reading this wrong, or that it's just weirdly worded... How does downloading iOS 6 correlate in any way to "sticking with" Apple Maps vs. Google Maps? Downloading the former does not necessarily mean using the latter. Even prior to Google Maps, I (and a lot of others) refused to use Apple Maps. As an anecdote, what did it for me was Apple Maps directing me to residential neighborhoods when I wanted to find commercial businesses.

Google Maps is bliss.

samcraig said:

No. You can't determine that at all.

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Sure - nor can one use the 10 million number to justify all this complaining about Apple Maps.....it's not a huge number relative to the number of users out there (or the number of complainers) just like the number of problems in Apple Maps is miniscule compared to the size/volume of data of the world's maps.

I find it fascinating that Google decided to release an app with all the things Apple originally wanted in the app, but were not allowed to add (turn-by-turn, vectors) due to Apple not wanting to give up more info....Apple bit the bullet, called Google's bluff and now Google, hurting because the iOS-user data pool is quite vast, offers all of that for free and hopes users will come back and send them more data.

All the more reason to continue using Apple Maps and sending them feedback - it was, is and always will be the only way Apple Maps improves/evolves (just like Google Maps). But, in the name of choice, I'm glad both are offered.

I wonder if the final version of 6.1 will have map improvements, but just haven't been put in the Betas. From the looks of it, we'll have to wait until iOS 7 for transit directions, etc. Sigh.

1. Downloaded google maps
2. Installed ios6

In that order.

The data is much better but I don't think the app is that great. Can't even search for a contact to get directions to them on the map...

maps.google.com still can't find my house, so no point in downloading it and being a statistic.

I paid 135 people a dollar to submit a request to Google (business expense) to fix this issue. I have also been doing about 4 times a year since maps was released by Google. I'm hoping one day it gets fixed. I also hope when it does, other GPS systems get their data fixed as well.

Maybe I should send a certified letter to resolve this issue once and for all instead of telling customers that my location is about 15 houses further down than were it says.

why

Plutonius said:

Google maps is free so why not download it for a backup option ?

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why?

need my space for games not another map app!

samcraig said:

Not being integrated with contacts or working with Siri isn't Google's programming omission. It's Apple's restriction. As you noted.

As for auto correcting your route - did the map app show that you had gone off course. Or was the GPS/signal not updated fast enough?

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No, I believe the app did not show (or tell me) I went off course. Like I said, my girlfriend had her iPhone going at the same time, and it was autocorrecting fine.

The more annoying issue was that on more than one occasions, it just failed to tell me to make a turn. Had I not already known where I was going, I would have missed a highway exit.

I also didn't find it as helpful as Apple's Map App and my Navigon app in terms of the directions it gives. I will have to play with it more to pin point what I disliked, but from memory it didn't seem to give me as good of warning for up coming turns.

I am not knocking the Google App as I think it is great there is this free alternative for people. I, however, think based on my experience I prefer other options for what I use a GPS app for: namely giving me turn by turn driving directions.

Goodness All Around

I'm just glad Apple approved it. But then again, did they really have a choice?