"Apple CEO Apologizes for Crappy Maps App"

Melting Las Vegas

After many iPhone and iPad users complained about how the new Maps app in iOS 6 pales in comparison to erstwhile default Google Maps, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook published a letter of apology on Apple.com.

Cook wrote: “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.”

The new Apple Maps on iOS 6 has been criticized for a lot of inefficiencies from misplaced towns to faulty search results to messed-up 3D maps (like the “Melting Las Vegas” map you see in the photo).

While his company has been hiring new talents to fix this mess, Cook also suggested users to look for alternatives. “While we’re improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading apps from the Apps 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.”

It is unusual for Apple to apologize for faulty iPhone functionality. When iPhone 4 was launched, users complained at how its cellular signal dropped significantly when being held with the left hand. The late Steve Jobs suggested to just hold the phone in another way, although the company put out several software updates and even–for a limited time–gave away its $29 Bumpers (which eliminates the problem) for free.

Source: Apple, via The Register