Apple’s iOS Maps service was so bad when it launched in 2012 that CEO Tim Cook actually issued a formal apology for it. Just over a year later, however, it looks as though Apple’s iOS Maps PR debacle may have been worthwhile for the company after all. The Guardian points out that new data from comScore show that use of Google Maps has fallen significantly over the past year while use of Apple’s Maps program has sharply risen.
According to comScore, Google Maps had 58.8 million users in September 2013, a steep decline from the 81.1 million users it had in September 2012. Apple’s Maps app, meanwhile, saw its user could rise to 35 million over the last year as many iPhone users found the service good enough to use as their regular mapping app.
This is important because it suggests a healthy chunk of iOS users are content with iOS Maps and will use it if it’s placed as the default option on their phones and tablets. While they may run the risk of driving onto airport runways after getting bad directions every now and then, they seem overall happy with the level of service they’re being given. And as Apple continues to plug money into improving its Maps app, the number of iPhone users who make it their mapping app of choice only stands to increase.
