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Google Maps iOS mustered 10 million downloads in 48 hours

Google is boasting that its popular new app has been positively received, with over 10 million downloads in its first two days.

Luke Westaway Senior editor
Luke Westaway is a senior editor at CNET and writer/ presenter of Adventures in Tech, a thrilling gadget show produced in our London office. Luke's focus is on keeping you in the loop with a mix of video, features, expert opinion and analysis.
Luke Westaway
2 min read

Google's dead proud of its new Maps app for iPhone, boasting that the long-awaited app hit over 10 million downloads in its first two days in the App Store.

Taking to Google+, the big G's Jeff Huber says, "We're excited for the positive reception of Google Maps for iPhone around the world", confirming that the app hit the significant milestone in less than 48 hours.

The app will have been hungrily snapped up by iPhone owners who updated their mobiles to iOS 6, only to find that Apple's Google-excluding new Maps app was the stuff of nightmares -- filled with dodgy satellite pictures or incorrect, out of date information.

Google's alternative, released last week, is much more palatable, thanks to street view, a cleaner interface and public transport information. It's not perfect -- there are no offline maps for example -- but its a country mile better than Apple's shonky effort. If you haven't downloaded it already, you can do so here.

Shortly after its release, Google's app was the toast of the town, rocketing to the top of the App Store chart and garnering rave reviews from relieved smart phone owners who'd given the app a try.

Google will certainly be feeling smug having been originally given the boot from Apple's iOS operating system. Here's hoping the search giant doesn't waste that goodwill and updates its new app with sparkly fresh features soon.

The Maps app proves that what Google does best is search and software. It's not so hot on retail however, struggling on another front to handle demand for its dirt-cheap Nexus 4 smart phone.

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