iOS 6 Adoption Uptick Due to iPhone 5 Release in China, Not Google Maps?

Ad network and analytics firm Chitika claims it has seen no significant increase in iOS 6 adoption in the U.S. and Canada. A company analyst believes the MoPub data (which was international, rather than domestic) we wrote about earlier today was affected by the recent launch of the iPhone 5 in China, rather than the release of Google Maps.

This past weekend, Apple issued a press release bragging that it had sold more than two million iPhone 5 units in China over the first three days of availability.

IOS Adoption Breakdown
In the chart above -- which only looks at data from the U.S. and Canada, rather than the international data that MoPub examined -- the iOS 6 adoption slope following the release of Google Maps for iOS remains practically unchanged from before the release, suggesting a sea change in iOS 6 adoption rates resulting from Google Maps release is inaccurate.

Chitika Data Solutions Engineer Gabe Donnini:

Thursday, December 20th marks the first full week of Google Maps' availability in the Apple App Store. To determine the impact of Google Maps on iOS 6 adoption, Chitika Insights conducted a research study analyzing the trend in adoption rates since the applications' release, along with mapping the OS' adoption rates since its debut on September 19th, 2012 for added context. Following Google Maps' release, Chitika Insights observed iOS 6 usage remain fairly flat from midnight on December 13th to midnight on December 17th 2012.

On Monday, Google reported that Google Maps for iOS had been downloaded more than 10 million times.

Popular Stories

Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:07 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Battery Capacity and Weight Allegedly Revealed

Monday May 19, 2025 2:22 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air later this year, and while there have been plenty of rumors about the camera's overall design and thinness, we haven't heard any details about the device's weight and battery capacity until now. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean-langauge Naver blog, the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air has a weight ...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Apple Says These Vehicle Brands Plan to Offer All-New CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, customizable widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust...
iOS 18 Siri Personal Context

Apple Will Reportedly Be More Cautious About Announcing New Features Well in Advance

Sunday May 18, 2025 2:50 pm PDT by
Apple plans to mostly stop announcing new features more than a few months before they are ready to launch, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Drake Bennett. The pair of reporters revealed this noteworthy tidbit towards the bottom of a lengthy report about Apple's artificial intelligence shortcomings today. This alleged change in strategy comes after Apple was forced to delay its more...
Apple Intelligence General Feature

Report: Apple's Next-Gen Version of Siri Is 'On Par' With ChatGPT

Monday May 19, 2025 9:00 am PDT by
Apple has big plans to improve Siri over the next few years, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Drake Bennett report. Some Apple executives are now reportedly pushing to turn Siri into a true ChatGPT competitor. A next-generation, chatbot version of Siri has reportedly made significant progress during testing over the past six months; some executives allegedly now see it as "on par" with recent...

Top Rated Comments

rmwebs Avatar
162 months ago
Dear god Macrumors either get on the bandwagon or dont.

"its because of Google maps"
"no wait, its because its Christmas"
"no...wait a second, its because of China."



Here's a thought...maybe it's all three.



Or maybe the Mayans wanted to try it out before they kill us :cool:
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NoNothing Avatar
162 months ago
Personally...

I know of 2 people including CmdrThor and wife that delayed updating to iOS 6 due to the maps "issue".
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SnowLeopard2008 Avatar
162 months ago
Why would Google Maps drive adoption iOS 6 adoption? It's a cluttered mess of a GUI on Android. They might have better map data than Apple but it's about damn time I, the end user, start seeing it instead of just reading about it. Show, not tell. Apple Maps has a far superior and easier to use GUI and has a significantly larger locations database than Google. Although it falls short in some areas, no GPS system is "perfect". Let's not forget that some people drove into oceans and off cliffs using the same map data provider that Google (and Apple) uses.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmChimera Avatar
162 months ago
who cares? the adoption rate will be down to zero by tmrw anyway

What you did there. I see it.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RobHague Avatar
162 months ago
Google maps wasn't that important :confused: it seems an exaggeration to me that anyone could hold off just based on that. If it was deadly vital you could just go to the mobile site.

I have had zero issues with Apple Maps anyway, I downloaded the new Google Maps but its in a folder for emergencies with other apps like Waze. I was in London a few days ago and decided to give Google Maps a spin when I got lost, and it was giving me confusing directions. Switched to Apple Maps and it was much clearer. How is that for irony?
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
F1 Fan Avatar
162 months ago
Seems more likely
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)