A new study today shows that iPhone users aren’t as satisfied with iOS 6 as they were with iOS 5.
TechCrunch is reporting that mobile research firm On Device has released the results of a survey showing that iPhone customers’ device satisfaction has actually gone down a slight amount with the release of iOS 6. The survey polled 16,000 iPhone users in the U.S. TechCrunch quotes On Device’s CEO as saying it is the first time their research has shown a decrease in satisfaction when Apple has released an operating system upgrade.
One factor in this decrease in satisfaction is undoubtedly Apple’s new Maps app in iOS 6. Apple made the decision to replace the feature-rich Google Maps app included in previous versions of iOS with their own proprietary map software. Since the release of iOS 6, iPhone users have complained about distorted satellite imagery, poor navigation directions, and missing or mislocated buildings and cities.
Perhaps Apple will take this signal as a sign to re-focus purely on the customer experience, rather than sticking it to their competitors. The company’s brand and the “Apple experience” of using an Apple product are one of the major reasons the iPhone is such a popular product in consumers’ eyes. If that experience begins to suffer, the iPhone might become just another smartphone.