With iPhone sales still doing a roaring trade, the user satisfaction scores that Apple are so proud of are starting to tick down as iOS 6.0 takes hold. You don't need a map to figure out why, but what could it mean for iOS 7?
The Surge Continues
Now the launch fuss has died down, sales of Apple's iPhone 5 are continuing around the world with new markets about to come on-stream this week. While the phone may be setting sales records, the operating system that runs it, iOS 6.0 is going down in users' estimations.
A survey by On Device Research of around 16,000 users shows they are a little less satisfied with iOS 6 than the previous version. While this isn't dramatic news, it could mean that the OS has peaked in usefulness in the eyes of users, or is just becoming boring. For Apple, now could be the time to do something dramatic about it, to make the next model of iPhone and iPad (the one after the mini) more appealing.
While the OS itself is a fairly mild upgrade on the surface, with Facebook integration the highpoint for many users, it is likely the Maps application is the cause of the lagging scores. While some users say it is faster and snappier than its Google-powered predecessor, all those issues with names and misplaced locations will cause a fair amount of negative feedback.
Other negatives include some developers feeling snubbed by the look of the new App Store, bookmarks vanishing from Safari and other complaints. Your mileage may vary depending on your device and the services you use when upgrading.
Google To Find the Right Map?
Google has said itself that it is working on a replacement Map application for its own service on the iPhone but that it won't be ready for some time, possibly a couple of months or longer. In the meantime, the likes of Garmin and TomTom (who's own app doesn't make the same mistakes) are promoting theirs heavily in light of Apple's woes.
While Apple's app has integrated turn-by-turn navigation, voiced by Siri, it might be worth checking the route before you set off. No one really seems to missing Apple's own YouTube app which is easily replaced by Google's own and the other changes in iOS 6.0 seem to have met with a largely positive response.
So, while Apple doesn't drastically need a radical overhaul for iOS 7.0, we'd like to think that they are working on something to bring new life to the nearly six-year old operating system. A new look would be welcome to utilise the power of the new processors and retina display, while greater customization is something many users ask for.
If Microsoft can put lots of useful information front and center in Windows Phone 8, can Apple really afford to ignore the stupidity of a weather icon that doesn't show the weather, a clock that doesn't show the time and so on. What would you like to see in iOS 7.0 that would put it in a more positive light?
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