"At WWDC, Apple dropped the hammer [on Google Maps], and drew a line in the sand," echoed Gaspar.

Whether it was a business-driven decision or not -- or even if it was not entirely Apple's doing, since Google may have been the one to withdraw its own mapping technology from iOS, perhaps by refusing to re-license it to Apple -- this was a major mistake.

"Apple has to have seen these [problems] with its Maps months ago," said Gaspar. "But they seemed to have believed that they were in a position where consumers would give them a pass."

Gaspar called that arrogance.

"It was very arrogant of them to assume that no one would have anything negative to say, especially with another iPhone coming out, that in the long term it would just go away," said Gaspar.