Another concrete sign that Apple really bungled its Maps app for the iOS is the sheer volume of downloads for the Google Maps app that was reported shortly after it was officially released in the Apple App Store last December 12.
According to Jeff Huber, the senior vice president of commerce and local at Google, the Google Maps app was downloaded 10 million times over the span of two days after it was released. This catapulted the app to the number one position in the App Store practically from the moment it was released.
Although it has been said by many that 10 million is in fact only a small percentage of the total number of iOS users, the figure is still very significant and not to be taken for granted. The amazing reception it had was clearly indicative of how unsatisfied iOS users are of the Apple Maps app, which replaced Google Maps starting in iOS 6. In previous versions of iOS, Google Maps was the default maps application for the operating system.
Among the new features of the Google Maps app are voice guided turn-by-turn navigation, Street View, live traffic info, and public transit directions.
Google reported that it will release an iPad-optimized version of the app very soon.
