Apple CEO Tim Cook has taken the extraordinary step of apologising to its customers for the frustration and inconvenience and frustration caused by the company’s less-than perfect Apple Maps application introduced in iOS 6.
Cook even suggested that iOS users download rival mapping applications from the App Store or create an icon to the Google Maps web app.
“Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world,” he added. “We know that you expect that from us, and we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard.”
Google Maps had been the maps provider to iOS ever since the first iPhone was released in 2007, but for iOS 6 Apple chose to replace the popular service with its own system. However it has been widely panned by users, who have reported numerous inaccuracies, missing towns and businesses as well as the discovery of famous locations in bodies of water.
Cook explained that to include features such as turn-by-turn navigation and voice integrations, Apple had “to create a new version of Maps from the ground up.”
Cook said that more than 100 million iOS devices used Apple Maps and that users had already searched for nearly half a billion locations. He reiterated the company’s believe that the service will improve as more people use it. However, until then, he suggested a few alternatives.
“While we’re improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app,” he said.
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What makes me mad is that Apple always mentioned the turn by turn missing in Google map. This is not true. Android has a navigator built in. As soon as you want directions, the navigator kicks in. And it is very good.
It's a startling announcement and surprisingly honest from such a big company to admit how badly they got it wrong. Customers will need to dig out their printer inks and print off whatever they can from Google Maps - it's a trip back in time by about seven years! And I doubt people will totally ditch Apple Maps over this - once it's sorted they'll be straight back to using their iPhones for that. I think they can forgive them for one mishap - however large it may have been.