Despite reports that the new Apple Maps product inside iOS 6 is the worst thing to happen to smartphone users shy of submerging their device in battery acid, a majority of iOS 6-using, iPhone 5-owning people don’t seem to have a problem with it at all.
According to a study from ChangeWave Research, 90% of users say they haven’t experienced any problems at all with Apple’s much-maligned maps product. Only 3% said that Apple Maps have been a “very big problem” for then, and 6% said they have been “somewhat of a problem.”
As you may have heard, users have complained that Apple Maps shipped severely underdeveloped and flat out faulty in some cases. There have been reports of broken landscapes, mislabeled locations, and general incompetence when searching for directions. The backlash was so severe that Apple CEO Tim Cook had to publicly apologize for the mess, saying, “at Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps…we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.”
Cook even recommended competitors like Bing maps, Waze, and Google maps as a holdover until they get Maps up to par.
But according to the study, Apple Maps simply isn’t a big deal with iOS 6 adopters – especially when compared to something like the antenna problem that plagued the iPhone 4.
“In comparison to the iPhone 4 Antenna/Reception issue, the current Apple Maps issue is of marginal concern to iPhone 5/iOS 6 users. Simply put, Apple Maps is not considered a problem by the overwhelming majority of users,” says ChangeWave.
According to the data, Apple Maps has not affected people’s desire to purchase the iPhone 5 either. 19% of those surveyed said they were “very likely” to buy the new device, and 13% said they were “somewhat likely.” That bests the demand for the iPhone 4S gauged in a previous ChangeWave survey, which saw 10% and 11.5%, respectively.
[h/t AppleInsider]