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Google Maps left out in the cold as most iPhone users stick with Apple Maps

Photo: bgr.com

Photo: bgr.com

Apple Maps may not have had the best of starts, but data from ComScore shows that most iPhone users have stuck with the app rather than reinstalling Google Maps. Google Maps lost 23M iPhone users in the US alone in the last year, with similar numbers expected elsewhere.

The figures show that in September this year, 35M iPhone owners used Apple Maps, against just 6M for Google Maps – the latter including around 2M who were using older versions of iOS unable to run Apple Maps.

The story is essentially a simple one: while techier iOS users may choose their own apps, the majority of iPhone owners use the apps that Apple provides. And if you apply that to other services, that may not bode well for technologies like Pandora … 

Pandora recently claimed that the launch of iTunes Radio had actually increased its user-base. I don’t doubt that’s true: pretty much every news story about the launch of iTunes Radio mentioned Pandora along the way, so in the short-term it got a massive PR boost. It also responded by dropping its 40-hour monthly listening limit for free users.

But the Google Maps numbers suggest pretty clearly that when Apple pre-installs software, mass-market owners don’t go looking for alternatives. As iOS 7 adoption climbs – and it is, very rapidly indeed – and iTunes Radio gets rolled out to more countries, Apple’s app is likely to be the one most users opt for.

‘Because it’s there’ doesn’t just apply to mountains, it seems.

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Comments

  1. tilalabubakr - 10 years ago

    Apple Maps sucks outside USA. I hardly find places I’m looking for. They better integrate their maps with Foursquare, it has a huge amount of data and it is used vastly around the world, even in 3rdWCs. With a little bit filtration and updating for Foursquare data, Apple Maps can pass Google’s easily. Especially with its clearer images and the new OS X app.

    • Vitor Silva (@vitoriu) - 10 years ago

      Apple Maps sucks in the USA. Example: in Boston they simply decided to eliminate Harvard station. Gone, it’s nowhere in Maps. How fun.

      Don’t get me wrong – the Apple Maps is a much better app than Google Maps. Faster, easier, more intuitive and with the better design. Navigation is much better on the Apple (of course, Tomtom). BUT, the database and the search functions (the basics of maps) are horrendous. It finds all the wrong things (in different continents!) and it doesn’t have as much as Google.

      On the battle of design vs. function, I’m sticking to Google Maps until Apple Maps gets better.

      • Kereth Powell (@kerethp) - 10 years ago

        http://imgur.com/7f2EFqE Just sayin’

      • Danish Shamim - 9 years ago

        It depends on perspective – Google maps cover a lot internationally, because of the wide community based mapping system . while apple maps / nokia maps only support a limited number of countries, by making Google maps available only on selected iTunes regions they have locked us out –

        i use both android and iPhone for development and as personal phones – my android has died leaving me stuck with an iPhone for a while – the Apple maps here in Pakistan for iPhone are utterly useless – it showed my nearest bank branch in another city 300 kilometers from here –

        and now because Google maps is unavailable in iTunes for this market place – it sucks

    • Dineth Mendis (@dineth) - 10 years ago

      I have both these apps on my iPhone but I use them very differently. Apple Maps are used specifically for Navigation. I find that Apple has done a better job with the directions. They come at the right time, in good intervals to give you confidence in the path you’re on, unlike Google Maps. In terms of the business listings, Google Maps is way better. Google also does a better job at guessing when you just can’t spell!

      This is why I posted an app long time ago on the App Store that will search Google Maps and let you navigate to that location using Apple Maps. It’s called “LocationBot”.

    • Victor Lazaro - 10 years ago

      Apple maps sucks! How am I supposed to plan my trip if I use the subway? Uh! Oh and also some subway stations are missing in F**ing New York!!! (Bedford on the L train for starter)
      I’m sticking to Google map. I wish I could just click a link but for now Copy/Paste is easier than being forced to the car directions on apple maps…

  2. utocal222 - 10 years ago

    EXCELENTE AYUDA,

  3. I prefer Apple Maps too.

  4. Tou Karl (@toukale) - 10 years ago

    Well the thing is I downloaded google maps when it became available as a backup, however I have been using apple maps about 3-4 times a week and so far it has not let me down. For me pandora was gone from my phone an hour after I started using itunes radio for one simple reason “music library.” Pandora library is a non started if you want to listen to anything other than english, or some spanish songs, iTunes radio however provided me with a bigger library and more language options. As someone who is fluent in 3 languages that sealed it for me.

  5. Tim Jr. - 10 years ago

    Same here, I just use Apple Maps. I love it’s power savings as it keeps the screen off and will pop up on the lock screen when I get close to a turn.. really awesome feature. Allows me to not have to plug in the power to charge it while traveling unless I’m already low on power.

    • OneOkami (@OneOkami) - 10 years ago

      To be fair, Google Maps will also display your upcoming maneuver on the lock screen. You don’t necessarily have to keep your phone unlocked and the app actively displayed for it to effectively route you.

  6. I try so hard to like Apple Maps. But I can’t use an app that constantly leads me to the wrong place, tells me to turn onto a busway, takes me the wrong direction down a one-way street, fails to find the business I’m searching for, etc. Apple Maps is the biggest mistake in the company’s history; John Sculley pales in comparison.

    • jonnikuest (@jonnikuest) - 10 years ago

      when’s the last time you actually used it? i’ve used it all over the east coast and have yet to be steered to a wrong location in the last 6 months. if its a recent development maybe, but if you have the address of the location, its pretty good at finding it and directing me there. business search needs to be improved, but that will come over time. definitely not the worst mistake in the company history….

      • Mr. Grey (@mister_grey) - 10 years ago

        People need to understand that the Internet (and Apple’s customers) comprise the entire world and that on the average tech web site, fully half the visitors and commenters are not US citizens. When you see a comment like this it’s usually someone outside of the USA. Answering with “works for me in California” (or the equivalent) misses the point entirely.

      • I live in Miami. Every single one of the problems I described in my comment (telling me to turn onto a busway, bringing me to an incorrect location, taking me down a one-way street, not finding a business I am searching for) occurred within the last 30 days. I had stopped using Apple Maps when Gmaps was released but I decided to give it another shot when iOS 7 was released. HUGE mistake. I experince an issue almost every time I use Apple Maps. Do you want an app that is “pretty good” at getting you where you need to go, or an app that you can take for granted because it works flawlessly every time?

      • jonnikuest (@jonnikuest) - 10 years ago

        Well like I said. Business search needs to be improved. Funny you mention Miami, I just used it last week in boca and it gave me correct business listing and proper directions. Orlando it tried to send me down a road that was closed for construction but immediately gave me a proper reroute. Also drove me to the middle of some ranch in Florida for the tough mudder w no issues. And that’s just in the past two weeks. I realize its probably no good outside of the USA, I can only speak to my experience. And obviously purchasing maps from third parties vs scouring the world in mini cars w mapping equipment will yield vastly different results. But I can’t possibly think of this as THE BIGGEST FAILURE IN APPLE HISTORY.

      • Good for you. You used the app and it worked a few times. The issue is not that it never works, the issue is that it doesn’t work properly every single time. There is no doubt that this is the biggest failure in Apple history! Other than Maps, has Apple EVER publicly apologized for one of its products, posted a page recommending specific third-party alternatives to a service already provided directly by Apple, and then completely reorganized its executive structure to rid itself of the person responsible for the failure? No, it hasn’t.

    • weakguy - 10 years ago

      Apple Maps is fine here in Texas (DFW and Austin at least). I would love to know where you live because I know Apple Maps sucks at other places other than the US. I heard that it’s even bad in Canada which I think is just insane. Oh well. Sorry my Canadian brothers…

    • Ryan E - 10 years ago

      Howard, Apple has both apologized for maps and given links to third party maps. A section to map alternatives was also featured in the App Store for quite a while. http://www.apple.com/letter-from-tim-cook-on-maps/

    • Ryan E - 10 years ago

      Howard, Apple has both apologized for maps and has provided links to third party apps. http://www.apple.com/letter-from-tim-cook-on-maps/ and for a while (not sure how long exactly) the App Store featured a section of navigation apps to use in place of Apple Maps.

  7. Not for me. I’ll stick with Google Maps, thanks anyway.

  8. weakguy - 10 years ago

    It’s actually not that hard to believe. Apple Maps is, IMO, the best looking maps app out there. It also has a better turn-by-turn than most big guys out there. The only time I use Google Maps is for public transportation. Other than that, I usually just use Apple Maps unless it has no data of the place I want to go.

    • Tony Mallory - 10 years ago

      I’m sticking with Waze, it’s what I wish Apple Maps was. To be fair, Apple Maps has gotten better, and I’ll whip it out every once if I know exactly where I’m going, but if I don’t know where I’m going then Waze is my go to. Waze is easier to see while driving and to date has never gotten me lost, something Apple Maps can’t say ….yet.

      • weakguy - 10 years ago

        I used Waze before Apple Maps came out and man I hated it! It kept giving me wrong directions and led me to some funny places. For example, I should keep right on freeway but it would tell me to keep left, then it would just keep rerouting forever. Oh well, at least it’s free right. But yeah, I didn’t have much good experience with Waze. That was when I lived in DFW btw. Waze was really terrible there.

  9. mikabass (@mikabass) - 10 years ago

    I love AppleMaps. Never has steered me wrong here in California. My only frustration is no bluetooth sync like Google maps. Google maps pairs with my APP Radio 3 dash and it lowers the volume of my stereo and tells me directions so Im not distracted or miss a turn.

  10. baumkuchen5000 - 10 years ago

    I highly doubt that these numbers can be expected to hold true for all the other countries. Here in Taiwan Apple maps is unfortunately unusable, because it doesn’t have any data for businesses, doesn’t have public transport information and many street names are wrong.

    • Ben Lovejoy - 10 years ago

      Sounds like some work left to do there! Here in the UK, the worst glitches got fixed pretty quickly and I now have no particular preference.

      • weakguy - 10 years ago

        Wow, that’s really interesting. I reported a huge glitch on turn-by-turn for a few months in a row, but Apple didn’t do a thing. I don’t know whether it’s fixed or not now. Let me tell what this glitch is because I think it’s pretty ironic – directions to Apple Store in Fort Worth from Arlington, TX. When you get off the free way, Apple Maps should take you south, or a left turn, instead, it told you to go north and yeah, you get the idea. Oh well, other than that, Apple Maps usually does a pretty good job for me.

  11. Zeev Suraski (@zeevs) - 10 years ago

    I can’t imagine who in his right mind would take a half baked product like Apple Maps and trust it, trust it to tell him where to go, no less. The vast majority will be the people who don’t know better, although some of the people who are informed enough to make a choice seem to be making the wrong one, based on the comments here. The quality of the maps is sub-par, they’re unreliable, and Apple isn’t responding to the feedback you provide from the app (I provided the same feedback about a missing street 3 times, as early as a week after iOS 6 came out, and it’s still unfixed).

    Maybe the source of this difference between the handful of people here reporting how great Apple Maps is and reality is the fact they live in the US, and perhaps even more specifically in California or New York. Guys, you have no idea how bad Apple Maps is outside the US. Perhaps you also don’t quite care – but Apple should, as the US is just a small fraction of the worldwide smartphone market. Honestly, losing 23m users in the US doesn’t sound like a huge deal to me, given how pervasive iOS is, and I expect to see very different numbers in EMEA.

    While Apple’s mediocre maps were somewhat amusing in the US, they were (and are) a complete trainwreck in Europe and Asia. So to everyone here who’s enjoying Apple Maps – just remember to download Google Maps before you go to your next European vacation or Asian business trip.

    BTW, the ComScore research linked here is the wrong one, it’s from January 2013. The right one is http://www.comscore.com/Insights/Press_Releases/2013/11/comScore_Reports_September_2013_U.S._Smartphone_Subscriber_Market_Share

    • John (@jrgibson1) - 10 years ago

      I don’t like in America. I like in Australia.
      I have used Apple Maps all over the world – Hong Kong, Australia, America, and South Africa – I have had very very issues with it. In the start, there were problems, lately, it is on par with the inbuilt navigation of my car so whatever delusions you have that it’s a complete train wreck in Asia is in accurate.

    • As much as I love Apple as a whole, when I am in a city anywhere in the world and need to get from point A to point B, I fire up Google Maps. The interface is much worse than Apple Maps, but the search finds what I’m looking for the first time — Apple’s search fails quite often — and the directions get me to where I need to go.

  12. OneOkami (@OneOkami) - 10 years ago

    I do believe a lot of people just use preinstalled apps by convention. They get a new device, they want to use it as a GPS and see that it comes such functionality of the vendor and they just use it by convention. If it works they have little-to-no reason go searching for an alternative (and I’m sure not everyone has been unfortunate to have been provided with incorrect directions)

    I’m not saying that’s the only reason anyone uses Apple Maps, but I do believe that’s a large contributor.

    Personally I prefer Google Maps overall. The navigation voice is easier on my ears, i’m more accustomed to the interface (both the UI and literally browsing maps), and, most importantly, I trust Google’s mapping data more than Apple’s. Google has been doing this for a lot longer so I expect them to have more data and with higher accuracy, I’ve never been provided with incorrect directions, never had trouble looking up an address. Apple Maps have given me incorrect driving directions multiple times and failed to locate an address in a foreign country multiple times. Each time Google Maps succeeded at the same task.

    Admittedly these issues all occurred before iOS 7 released and Apple Maps may have gotten more accurate (I’ve used it once since updating to iOS 7). But like the reason I suspect for many people use Apple Maps, I continue to use Google Maps because it works just fine for me, and again, I trust Google’s mapping data more than I do Apple’s. I have no compelling reason to switch.

    One potential advantage I see for Apple Maps as an iPhone and iPad user is its integration with your contacts. That’s cool if you’re don’t really use Google’s services but it’s not game changer because you save “Places” in any Google Maps interface and they will sync with the iOS app so you can create the same effect.

  13. Sadly, Apple Maps is still very poor outside of US. In Ireland for instance it’s very outdated. They also don’t seem to pay much attention to user reports.

  14. sardonick - 10 years ago

    I have a hard time believing that Apple maps is preferred over Google maps from my experiences. I typically only use Apple maps when I really don’t want to go somewhere. It’s steered me wrong or via some ridiculous route more often than it has gotten it right. I use Google maps and Waze.

  15. Bill Gowland - 10 years ago

    I believe this is only because you cannot set default applications on iOS, unless you Jailbreak. So of course the built in apps will get more use. Every time you click on an address Apple Maps opens. The question should have been which maps program do you prefer.

    • Ben Lovejoy - 10 years ago

      That’s correct, Bill – but preference only counts for vanity, usage is where the cash is …

      • Jonathan Winters - 10 years ago

        I don’t necessarily agree that “preference only counts for vanity”. I’m an all-around fan(atic) for all things Apple… have been since Mac OS 6.4 (and we were a smallllll group back then), but I have to say that in this instance I’d like to see some more data before I agree with the conclusions you’ve drawn.

        Chief among the data I’m interested in is how many people lost their jailbreak by moving to iOS 7 or buying a new iPhone (all at about the same time), and were then forced to go to Apple Maps as their default Map app. I have to believe that this was a significant number of users. I count myself in that number, and if given the opportunity to do so, I would set Google Maps as default on my iPhone in a heartbeat. I can rarely say this, but in this case Google’s app “just works” so much better than Apple’s.

        You said:

        “But the Google Maps numbers suggest pretty clearly that when Apple pre-installs software, mass-market owners don’t go looking for alternatives.”

        Who said we’re not looking for alternatives? The other data I’m interested in is how many users have downloaded Google Maps.

        I don’t dispute the influence a default app can have — I’m a dreadful slave of inertia (when not inspired to break that force), but the only way that your statement can be a logical conclusion from the data you’re presenting is if Apple made a setting available to allow users to choose which Maps app gets loaded by default. Lacking that, the only thing that the Google Maps numbers “suggest pretty clearly” is that the choice has been removed, and now every link to a map / address I click and every time I ask Siri for directions, it loads up Apple Maps.

        I think the more accurate headline would be:

        “Google Maps left out in the cold as all former Jailbreak users are now forced to use Apple Maps by default.”

        Or:

        “Unchangeable Defaults: Apple finds great method to bring up adoption rates of its much loathed Maps app.”

        And please understand, I find the apple experience to be far and above exceptional a huge majority of the time. I live and breathe the Apple ecosystem and have brought so many friends and family members “over” from Windows I’m considering asking for a commission. But I have to be honest about this — Maps is an unintuitive kludge of an app that always *always* leaves me missing Google Maps, and unless something changes I’ll continue to group Maps app in with Apple’s other major failures like the 20th Anniversary Mac, Apple firing Steve Jobs, or the original puck mouse (only, I didn’t have to buy the Anniversary Mac, Jobs was re-hired, and I could buy a different USB mouse).

  16. Mr. Grey (@mister_grey) - 10 years ago

    Imagine how many people would use it if it had accurate information outside of the USA and if it had transit and walking information as well as just cars.

  17. janzegers - 10 years ago

    Only reason I’m still using Google Maps is that Apple Maps doesn’t do turn-by-turn on an iPhone 4. Shame and needless move by Apple imho, since Google Maps (and other apps) prove the iPhone 4 is perfectly capable of navigating turn-by-turn.

  18. Bill Weinman - 10 years ago

    Interesting that Waze isn’t part of this discussion. I’ve found it far superior to either Apple or Google maps.

  19. I also use Apple Maps most of the time. On a couple of occasions I had to rely on Google Maps for an address discrepancy, but I’m sure these issues will eventually go away.

  20. Adam Seward - 10 years ago

    I still use Google Maps as it’s still bad up here in Canada…yea it’s been semi improved from launch, but used it not to long ago and still had wrong places or directions,.

  21. Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 10 years ago

    I keep on trying to use apple maps but each time it ends up disappointing me. I live in nyc and apple maps just can’t find places. I mean if I spelt it 100% correct or knew the address it would, but I rely on guessing the spelling of bar names, that my friends tell me to meet at, and google maps can guess what I’m looking for.

    Then there is the fact that apple maps can’t actually get me there with public transit… yet.

    Lastly, I rely on using my phone with one hand. For all of Apple’s preaching about how the iPhone is designed for one handed use, you’d think they’d have a solution for zooming out of their maps app. Google maps does and it’s really nice to use. The funny part is I thought of google’s zoom out implementation and even wrote it to apple feedback before the new google maps came out. Guess they don’t care.

    I’d much prefer using an integrated solution. Google maps wants me to sign in and doesn’t integrate with my contacts. It also constantly forgets my current search but that outweighs the other stuff. So I guess I’ll keep trying.

  22. Kirby Knight - 10 years ago

    Waze is superior to either Apple Maps or Google Maps. Simplicity of use (e.g. vastly easier to add in favorites) combined with crowd-sourcing of traffic/hazards/cops/etc. make it a much better GPS than the competition. I’ve tried the others, and Waze is superior to all.

    • David (@crichton007) - 10 years ago

      I’d say yes to this with one exception: searching for local businesses. When I search and switch to the map view in Waze it always zooms so far out and then zooming back in is difficult because the process is pretty janky. Beyond that I think Waze is far better than any other option available.

  23. Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 10 years ago

    I don’t see how anyone can say Apple maps was a mistake. Even as ticked off as I was about it happening (which was much worse when it was in beta and google maps wasn’t out yet) It was the right move for apple and in another year or two it will be pretty good. Especially with more people adding data.

    I really don’t think this was any of apple’s fault either. Google wanted what happened. They wanted to make an app that forced you to log in to google to access your recents and contact’s address. They want to keep collecting as much data on you as they can. And now they can. Even if it’s smaller percentage they’d rather this than apple using the data only.

  24. crawdad62 (@crawdad62) - 10 years ago

    I would have probably used Google Maps just out of familiarity but they are so outdated in my area it isn’t even funny. Not sure when they did their flyover but it wasn’t in the last 8 years or so.

    • Ben Lovejoy - 10 years ago

      It does seem to vary a lot by location. I’ve just checked my address, and the satellite view was in the last few months due to changes made in the garden.

  25. David (@crichton007) - 10 years ago

    I’ve tried Apple maps lately but the street data is still over 2 years out of date (and I’ve noted the discrepancies using the “feedback” option in the app several times) here in Utah. If it’s this bad where I know the area what is it like in all of the other areas I travel to? Also, I’ve found that Siri is pretty bad at guessing things. Two recent examples:

    1. I asked for directions to a restaurant that I know was close to my hotel but I couldn’t remember how to get to it so I asked Siri which proceeded to give me directions to another restaurant with the same name that was an hour away.

    2. I asked for directions to an address and rather than giving me options or directions to the closest location of that address it proceeded to try and take me to that address in a city that was an hour away.

    I really like my iPhone but some of this is just too egregious to consider using it until they’re fixed.

  26. Because it’s better.

  27. Winski - 10 years ago

    IF you’ve noticed over the last few months, Apple maps has gotten MEASURABLY better and I believe now superior to Googlie Maps…

  28. liquidwolverine1 - 10 years ago

    I mainly only use Apple maps. I have had to install Google maps because my go to transit app, Hop Stop, has been pretty messed up lately.

  29. Mark Cacopardo (@MC5) - 10 years ago

    I always somehow liked Apple maps, but Google maps has always been better, I think.
    My wife and I tried both apps in our holidays in Sicily and both showed us the right way most of the time. If we were looking for a restaurant or smaller village, though, Apple maps often did not find anything. In Google maps you type in a few letters and it finds the right place.
    Once we were looking for a small town nearby and Apple maps only showed us two places which had the name of the town in it, but were far away, not the town itself.
    There many places in Italy called “piazza della repubblica” but google maps first searches for a place NEAR you with that name and not for one a 1000km away. I could go on…

    While Apple maps may have improved with iOS 7 (except for the road sings they got rid of…they were cool), the search function is almost unusable because often it does not find anything. Not only in Italy but Germany as well. So for me it’s sadly no real alternative for Google maps.

    And I always thought the Tomtom material on which apple maps is based was supposed to be so good…

    Funnily enough the agriturismo (holiday farm) where we stayed did only exist in Google maps, Apple maps/tomtom couldn’t find it. There was a couple from the Netherlands, who used a Tomotom navigation device, and they couldn’t find the farm either, so that the owner had to pick them up from some distant place in the middle of the night…

  30. Scott Peterson - 10 years ago

    I honestly tried to like Google Maps, but EVERY TIME I use it, I end up no where near the correct destination. The second I use Apple Maps it takes me to where I want to go.

    • Anthony Marsala - 10 years ago

      I’ve tried to use Apple’s maps, but either they don’t have the Point of Interest (POI) I want, or it’s located in the wrong place. Google has couple a couple of addresses slightly wrong — and when I’ve sent them feedback they’ve corrected them! I tried giving Apple an update and I don’t think they ever corrected anything. I think Apple’s POIs are YEARS behind Googles. I do wish I didn’t have to copy and paste addresses from my contacts and from Yelp listings though. Using Apple Maps would be easier if it worked nearly as well for me as Google.

  31. Gary Lum - 10 years ago

    In Australia Apple maps is unreliable

  32. franec (@franec) - 10 years ago

    Greetings from Europe. I know nobody who uses Apple maps here. Maybe some dumb sheep who can’t install apps but I avoid such people. So everyone I know uses google maps.

  33. Gregory Wright - 10 years ago

    I bought my RMBP, iPad Air, and iPhone 5s primarily because of Apple’s Eco System. It makes sense that unless there is a compelling reason not too one is going to use Apple’s map and other Apple software products. I can look up directions on my Mac and send the results to my iPad or iPhone. You can’t do that with Google maps. There absolutely nothing wrong with Google maps. The same can be said about Apple maps. Both are equal in my opinion. That said Apple maps wins out.

    • rahhbriley - 10 years ago

      Oh wow!! You have all of the latest of those things?! I’m jealous and impressed. You must be of high esteem. I have a MBP, iPad, and iPhone too, but I’m too embarrassed to tell you which ones. But they can all run the lastest OS, I swear it!!!

  34. Neil (@NeilParkerTX) - 10 years ago

    If this is true, that explains why everyone I know with an iPhone is either lost right now or always late!

  35. rettun1 - 10 years ago

    I pretty much use google maps only for bus and train directions. Only a few times has Apple maps shown me a place in the wrong location

  36. Andrius Kleiva - 10 years ago

    Apple Maps are absolutely great. They just need to work more on the crappy satellite images.

  37. Not the case for me.
    I do like the integration of Apple Maps to iOS but Google maps has been FAR more accurate in my experience and I live in Los Angeles!
    Apple maps still needs some work especially when it comes to anything outside of the U.S. (no surprise there, sadly…)
    BUT, it has certainly gotten much better than when it was first released.

  38. rahhbriley - 10 years ago

    Surprised I didn’t see anyone mention this:

    Maps and streaming Radio will be much different. I agree that people will use iTunes Radio a lot, and will likely pull a decent share of Pandora’s business away. HOWEVER to liken that to what has happened to Maps, I feel isn’t accurate.

    While the situations seem similar, Maps is an “essential” (mostly, humor me) feature of a smart phone with a stand alone app. iTunes Radio is a feature inside of the Music app, and not as “essential” (in my simple opinion from a utility/necessity stand point). The Maps app will open when clicking directions in Contacts, Mail, Safari, etc. You are driven to it by numerous apps and as the system default (another issue all together that some here have mentioned) you are going to use Maps quite a bit, without thinking or choosing to. People don’t always launch maps to end up there, but they do end up there a lot.

    Now streaming iTunes Radio, doesn’t happen for me automatically. I have to want to listen to it, launch Music, go to Radio, etc. There aren’t any other Apps in iOS driving you to it (there is not need for such a thing). Many of my friends who aren’t tech-dumb had no idea iTunes Radio was there, and even those who did, love their Pandora stations. I like iTunes Radio, have used it a good deal, and will continue to use it as my top music streaming choice. I just don’t think as many people care to stream music from Pandora or iTunes Radio, as they need to use maps. The system default portion of maps is a big reason for that. So tell me, when will the system be sending us to iTunes Radio? Never, we have to choose to go to it. Simply put, it’s as easy to use Pandora as it is iTunes Radio, but it’s much harder to use Google Maps than it is to use Apple Maps. It’s all about effort.

    • Jonathan Winters - 10 years ago

      Yes — you are completely right. iTunes Radio : Pandora != Apple Maps : Google Maps

      I cannot think of anything that will take me into iTunes Radio “by default” without me first opening up iTunes Radio. There are loads of ways to get into Apple Maps (and no way to choose otherwise)

  39. Rennuj Gua A. Alamban - 10 years ago

    i still use Google Maps instead of Apple Maps because i ride a bus, and google maps offers a great way to see when is my bus coming…

  40. roadgypsy64 - 10 years ago

    How about reading a REAL MAP, or have all those complaining become functionally device addicted and brain dead?

  41. Ben P (@benlpowell) - 10 years ago

    so basically iOS has been adopted by morons? Apple maps in the UK is an absolute joke.

  42. I won’t delete Google Maps but I almost never use it and tucked it away in an Extras folder (along with GPS Drive Motion X). Apple Maps is such an elegant experience that I just find myself going to it more often. Full-screen access (no persistent search bar), cleaner, more colorful UI and the night mode is really simple but really slick. It just “feels” better than Google which looks dated and bland by comparison. I still like and appreciate street view but I don’t miss it.

    This is definitely a symptom of iOS 7. Before iOS 7 I almost always used Google Maps but now that Siri sounds more human (remarkably still not as crisp or realistic as Google’s voice guidance) I prefer using Apple’s Map app. And the good news is Apple Maps will only get better. Once they include transit information and resolve some of the international issues they’ll pose an even greater threat to Google Maps.

  43. Scott Clitheroe - 10 years ago

    So where exactly is this data: “The figures show that in September this year, 35M iPhone owners used Apple Maps, against just 6M for Google Maps – the latter including around 2M who were using older versions of iOS unable to run Apple Maps.”

    It’s certainly not in the Comscore page you linked to.

    • Svipur (@Svipur) - 10 years ago

      Came in to ask the exact same question. I mean, I don’t mind fifty-odd comments bashing Google Maps, or Apple Maps, or what have you, but where did these figures come from? I tried using ComScore tags to find a newer post that would at least hint at this data, but there’s nothing. The ‘Google Maps’ tag only returns one post – the very one the article’s linking to – dating back to January 2013.

      • Ben Lovejoy - 10 years ago

        They are figures given to the Guardian newspaper

  44. Matteo Rodrigo - 10 years ago

    On an iPHone, don’t you have to go through extra steps if you want to do Google Maps? I thought I read that the Apple maps are automatically default and you cannot change it

  45. That’s surprising. Google Maps is awesome.

  46. In 12 months the back end work of Apple will surpass Google’s decade lead. Count on it.

  47. bpranav - 10 years ago

    I live in India and apple’s service here is extremely poor. There is hardly any information about any location. Until apple changes their source for India, I’m sticking to google maps.

  48. zBrain (@joeregular) - 10 years ago

    “The figures show that in September this year, 35M iPhone owners USED Apple Maps, against just 6M for Google Maps”

    how did they come up with this statistic? what does USE mean? the comments in the thread keep stating, that they get wrong directions, when using apple maps. some state missing businesses…

    i believe a whole lot of people use apple maps to just find out where a city is, where a country is or the distance between two places.

    and for this, apple maps is good enough.

  49. I never ask anything or anyone for directions… I am a dude. But my wife… my wife… she would use Apple Maps. She’s the smart one.

  50. Ryan E - 10 years ago

    Here is an example. I searched for a McDonald’s using Apple Maps. Shows me a correct location, and driving directions, but wrong address. Type in the same address in Google Maps, and it takes you to the correct geographical location. Type in the incorrect address in Apple Maps, and it takes you to the McDonald’s. I just submitted information via the Report Problem link in Apple Maps. Will be interesting to see when, how, and if the address is corrected. The incorrect address in question here is 10177 S. Kline St, Littleton, CO 80127. Not a McDonald’s in real life, and is a McDonald’s in Apple Maps.

    The key has always been: This information is provided as general guidance. Do some research before actually making the suggested trip.

    The problem: I don’t want to do so much research to find a particular location with correct directions, and I am not alone.

  51. Randy Miller - 10 years ago

    Plain and Simple, I have three buildings on the same street. With Google maps I could tell you what part of the building my iphone or iPad were in. With Apple Maps, They show up almost a block away from their actual location.

Author

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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