For those sitting under a rock, Apple released iOS 6 with a radically different maps application. While the new app now has turn-by-turn navigation, it no longer has Google mapping data or street view. This has been highly controversial to say the least. There have been claims of lower quality maps and satellite images, almost entire countries clouded over (Scotland), or addresses that were were wildly incorrect, and a 3D mode where bridges and landmarks look distorted or destroyed.
Today, Apple CEO Tim Cook issued an open-letter apology, which we will post in its entirety below, apologizing for the new mapping solution. He also issued a commitment to get better and for the interim offered alternative solutions such as Google or Nokia web apps.
“To our customers,
At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.
We launched Maps initially with the first version of iOS. As time progressed, we wanted to provide our customers with even better Maps including features such as turn-by-turn directions, voice integration, Flyover and vector-based maps. In order to do this, we had to create a new version of Maps from the ground up.
There are already more than 100 million iOS devices using the new Apple Maps, with more and more joining us every day. In just over a week, iOS users with the new Maps have already searched for nearly half a billion locations. The more our customers use our Maps the better it will get and we greatly appreciate all of the feedback we have received from you.
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.
Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world. 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.
Tim Cook
Apple’s CEO”
The maps icon says “jump off the bridge!!!”
I hadn’t noticed that before, but the icon literally tells you to take a left turn off of an interstate overpass.
Wow. Just wow. They sue rival Samsung even though they are using their A6 processors. They go off and try to recreate the road map, literally and divorce themselves from the last decade of mapping innovations by rival Google. I was wrong that the spirit of Steve Jobs is fading from the company. The bitter ‘ole divisive crank of a man who felt his proprietary genius was the only genius that should matter to the world — that part of his spirit appears to be alive and well.
My wife is from The Czech Republic so I thought I would look up her home town just as I did with Google maps before. I was extremely disappointed the new Apple maps, with Google maps on my iPad I could zoom down like I was just over the flat her parents live in, with Apple maps the entire city looks like a white-grey blob. No buildings or anything. I hope that they fix this before we go visit for Christmas and New Years but I’ll be getting google maps just incase.
They sue Samsung over rounded corners and other trivial similarities to the iPhone and then go off and copy Google maps, what kind of logic is this? Why can’t we have flash already? I love my iPad but I’m really getting frustrated with Apple not playing well with others.