Ad network and analytics firm Chitika says their data shows that the jump in iOS 6 adoption was actually caused by the recent launch of the iPhone 5 in China, not the release of Google Maps, as suggested in a story yesterday.
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 that a sea change in iOS 6 adoption rates resulting from Google Maps release is inaccurate.
Apple issued a press release last weekend, announcing that it had sold more than two million iPhone 5 units in China over the first three days of availability.
Google reported earlier this week that Google Maps for iOS had been downloaded more than 10 million times.
Chitika Data Solutions Engineer Gabe Donnini said, “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.”
