Surprise! Apple Maps Is a Hit, Google Maps Loses Ground

[onehandle]

You probably remember the Apple Maps memes that exploded across the Internet when the app was first released as part of iOS6 in September 2012. They were legion: Columbus discovered America because he was looking for India on Apple Maps. Luke Skywalker turned off his targeting computer while attacking the Death Star because it was using Apple Maps. Heard who the Apple Maps development team was? The cast of Lost.

Well, now it looks like Apple is having the last laugh. The Google Maps mobile apps, on both iOS and Android, were used by 81 million people in September 2012. By September 2013, according to ComScore, that number had fallen to 58.7 million. In just one year, Apple Maps has gained 35 million regular users.

The numbers are worse if you look at the iPhone alone, where the aforementioned 35 million Apple Maps users stack up against just 6 million Google Maps users. And a third of those are using the Google Maps app because they haven't or can't upgrade to iOS 6 or 7, according to an analysis by The Guardian.

Yes, you read that right: Apple Maps, for all its history of glitches, errors, broken freeways and missing transit directions, is being used about six times more than Google Maps wherever users have a choice between the two.

http://mashable.com/2013/11/12/apple-maps-google

[Pretzel_Warrior]

1. oh, I see the connection. well done.

[hobbit709]

2. That just means people can get lost even faster than ever before.

[SidDithers]

3. I like the audio turn-by-turn directions...

that I get with Google Maps on my iPhone. The search is better on Google Maps too, but maybe I'll try Apple Maps again, see if it has improved.

Sid

[DisgustipatedinCA]

8. That functionality exists with Apple's map also

They both seem to work equally well, at least in my experience.

[EOTE]

4. What a silly article.

They're suggesting that iPhone users tend to use Apple software? Duh. "Wherever users have a choice betwen the two." That's pretty much just Apple's mobile devices. What a silly way to hide the fact that in pure numbers, Google Maps is still used by more users world wide and most likely will continue to be.

[MineralMan]

5. Cool, if you have an iPhone.

Guess I'll stick to Google on my home PC and my lowly Android phone. Oh, well...

[Prism]

6. Apple maps are useless for transit

That's why I use Google maps. Built in step by step bus and train directions. Apple maps directs you to the App Store so you can download several apps and figure out the route yourself.

Newp, no thank you.

[Joel thakkar]

7. This gives me hope for obamacare

despite all the glitches, it will be hit

[frylock]

9. Surprise! Apple users are using Apple Maps..

what a shocking development!

[Threedifferentones]

10. So you mean people who buy the Apple hardware tend to use the Apple software?

What a coup for Apple!

[liberal_at_heart]

11. It's not a hit for the visually impaired I can guarantee. And the new ios sucks for the

visually impaired as well. My husband used to love his iPhone. Now he hates it.

[Dreamer Tatum]

12. So...Apple fixed their colossal f-up and now it's safe to use their product?

Is that what you mean to say?

[JCMach1]

13. 35 million Apple users are now too lazy (or too dumb to figure out how to install Google Maps)

that is all...

[snooper2]

14. I swear to god, well, there is no such thing-, I swear to Obama

This is the first I've heard of apple maps -

Do they tell you when the trees are blooming?