iOS 6 Adoption Grows 29% Over The Weekend As People Finally Update After Google Maps Arrives
Apple Maps was so bad that people refused to upgrade to iOS 6 until they could get Google Maps, says data from massive mobile ad exchange MoPub. The 12,000 apps it supports saw a 29 percent increase …
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple replaced Google’s built-in mapping service when it introduced its own Maps app in iOS 6, making mapping quality a visible part of the operating-system upgrade decision. By September, Google had an iOS 6 Maps app awaiting Apple’s approval, leaving Apple in control of when that alternative reached users.
MoPub’s 12,000-app network recorded a 29% weekend increase in iOS 6 adoption after Google Maps arrived. That follows an earlier report that iOS 6 had already reached 61% adoption in the U.S. and Canada, so the signal concerns the remaining pool of holdouts rather than the launch’s initial uptake.
First-order effects
- Google Maps gives iOS users a standalone mapping alternative, reducing the practical cost of upgrading for users dissatisfied with Apple Maps.
- Apple gains a 29% weekend adoption increase in MoPub’s observed app traffic, though the data measures correlation around Google Maps’ arrival rather than individual upgrade motives.
Second-order effects
- Developers in MoPub’s network gain a larger iOS 6 audience, increasing the near-term value of supporting Apple’s latest operating-system version.
- Google regains a direct consumer touchpoint on iOS even after Apple removed it as the built-in maps provider, while Apple retains control over the default mapping experience.
Third-order effects
- The episode underscores that a weak replacement for a core service can slow platform upgrades until a credible third-party substitute is available.
- Mobile platforms can separate control of system defaults from control of user choice: Apple owns the iOS distribution gate, but Google can still compete through an app once approved.
The trend: Mobile operating-system adoption is becoming tied not only to new OS features but also to whether essential services remain available at acceptable quality.