I use my 3rd gen ipad all the time, in the bay area, and the Apple maps suck. Sorry but they do. My wife's iPad, being Gen 1, has been spared being upgraded to IOS6 and so we look up map things on hers. On numerous occasions we've compared what the 'old' Maps app brought up and what the 'current' Map app brought up and merely shook our head.
I am surprised that Google would even consider putting their maps back on iOS at this point given the publicity but they have never been a very scrutable organization.
The actual "complaining" may be attributed to a few people (non-iOS or not), but from its reliability alone, Apple's iOS6 Maps is certainly not my first choice when I need directions to a new location that I have little familiarity with. An early usage of iOS6 Maps led me to the wrong address (a confusion of North/South streets) and it's not like I live in a particularly exotic region (South Bay/Los Angeles). I'll give it another chance when iOS7 Maps is out.
Honestly -- the directions are fine. Turn by Turn seems useful (only had it a short while in AU).
The key issue for me is crappy information display. Most of the time -- major roads aren't shown while zoomed out. So If I want to glance at the maps to try an alternate route -- I can't.
Really? I know to expect this from you, but you're really going to make this absolute statement: "The only people complaining about Google Maps seem to be non-iOS users." and stand by it? Besides, somehow I have no doubt that you're a fan of native apps and would happily espouse how important they are.
It's not an absolute statement. I said SEEM to be.
Because the fact is that the mobile site IS about 80% as good as the native app. Especially given the native app has poor caching and no offline capability.
Because the mobile version has been available and was about 80% as good as the app. Which really showed just how lacking the original maps was.