Does Apple actually have a “maps problem”?
Apple’s abrupt firing of Scott Forstall would suggest this was the case — the latest RealityMine data tells the story in more detail.
Looking at our analysis of thousands of iOS6 users, it is clear that the new native Apple Maps is not the product of choice for iPhone users. Based on usage data, RealityMine found that nearly 33% of all iOS6 users are only using Google Maps, despite the hassle of it not being a native app. A further 25% of iOS6 users are using, at least some of the time, Google Maps. Only 11% of iOS6 users are happy enough with the Apple Map tool to use it exclusively.
And despite the best effort of other 3rd party map app developers, they represent less than 2% of total map usage on iOS6-powered handsets.
It will be interesting to watch how this competition for map users plays out. Perhaps, Apple felt that the importance of all the user data gained by having its own map service outweighed the advantages of providing a better customer experience using Google’s service. Time will tell how consumer usage shifts over time as Apple improves its product.
