Tim Cook Writes a Letter to Customers About iOS 6 Maps: Apple is Sorry

[Anthony Bouchard]

iOS 6 brought over 200 new features to the iOS 6 device lineup including a new Maps application, which added features such as turn-by-turn navigation, Flyover view, and 3-D maps. While it's cool, accuracy hasn't exactly been superb for everyone and map images have rendered strangely, as not to resemble what the location actually looks like. Users have reacted to these issues with strong words and numerous complaints.

Following the negative vibe created by iOS 6 users about Apple’s new Mapping solution, Tim Cook has written a letter to customers (viewable from Apple's Web site) using the new Maps application in an attempt to soothe the frustration. In the letter, Cook apologizes for the rough start and promises that everything is going to get better as more and more people use Apple’s Mapping solution:

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

In addition to the apology, Cook advises users that aren’t content with Apple’s Mapping solution to use third party alternatives from the App Store such as Bing, MapQuest, and Waze just to name a few. Cook also mentions that users can use Google Maps from Mobile Safari and can create a home screen bookmark by following this guide, which was posted this morning by Apple.

Cook also promises that Apple will continue to work on the Maps application until customers are completely content with it. That being said, it is almost guaranteed that Apple will not be bringing Google Maps back to the iOS device lineup natively. It will be up to Google to either launch their own Google Maps application in the App Store for users to download, or it will be up to users to go ahead and make a home screen bookmark of the Web site from Mobile Safari.

Sources: Apple
Thanks for the tip Richard!

[NakedFaerie]

we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard.

It will never be at the level of Google Maps so it might as well kill it off like it did Ping.

[SupaMonkey]

Dont know what all the fuss is about; its really not that bad.

[Mrinfame]

Apple is great apple is this....uhhh apple is just another company with issues tooo they have a great platform but so much expectation and then so many mistakes Dont convince me step up the game apple to jobs standards

[feidhlim1986]

Next time, test your software outside of the U.S.

[unison999]

"While it's cool, accuracy hasn't exactly been superb for everyone and map images have rendered strangely"
Forget about superb it is not even mediocre...

[Awdad724]

It will never be at the level of Google Maps so it might as well kill it off like it did Ping.

Apple will surpass google maps. It's only a matter of time. They are always passing more and more boundaries every year

[prodigy326]

Dont know what all the fuss is about; its really not that bad.

Has anyone not noticed how horrible facetime has gotten? JS

[steeda763]

Steve Jobs' response would have been:

Maps is a breathtaking app that will take you places you've never been. we're using an advanced algorithm to determine more exhilarating experiences than you would have by going to your intended (and boring) location.

-Steve

[kyphur]

Even in the US it has problems, I needed to go to a flooring store and Apple maps ave me a location 5 miles away while CoPilot, Google Maps, Navigon & TomTom all knew where it really is located!

[richardjs]

My pleasure.
Its a response. They've taken ownership of the problem. This is good.

[nicrfe]

As more people use the maps apple gets more data to use to fix the maps. Google did the same thing. By next year it will be all good. And it's not all that bad now.

[rcm]

ARE YOU SERIOUS, HE'S ACTUALLY TELLING US WE CAN USE GOOGLE'S MAPS WHEN THE ORIGINAL APP, WAS GOOGLE F*****G MAPS, HOW STUPID DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO REMOVE AN APP, REPLACE IT WITH A NEW ONE, AND THEN TELL US THAT BECAUSE THE NEW ONE ISN'T WORKING RIGHT THEN YOU CAN USE THE OLD ONE. Mr. Cook you are no Steve Jobs, Steve Jobs would have pushed back the new Maps app until actual users and not just developers had a chance to really try it out and then when it was reallycomplete he would have released it. But this is really the developers fault, they are the one's in charge os testing apple's apps and they either didn't care about Maps or were too busy testing how IOS 6 working with current games.

[AUZambo]

ARE YOU SERIOUS, HE'S ACTUALLY TELLING US WE CAN USE GOOGLE'S MAPS WHEN THE ORIGINAL APP, WAS GOOGLE F*****G MAPS, HOW STUPID DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO REMOVE AN APP, REPLACE IT WITH A NEW ONE, AND THEN TELL US THAT BECAUSE THE NEW ONE ISN'T WORKING RIGHT THEN YOU CAN USE THE OLD ONE. Mr. Cook you are no Steve Jobs, Steve Jobs would have pushed back the new Maps app until actual users and not just developers had a chance to really try it out and then when it was reallycomplete he would have released it. But this is really the developers fault, they are the one's in charge os testing apple's apps and they either didn't care about Maps or were too busy testing how IOS 6 working with current games.

It's not like Steve Jobs was void of any bad decisions. Remember the antenna issue? That happened under Steve's watch. It was blown out of proportion, but it still happened under his watch. Had it happened under Cook's watch there no doubt would have been tons of posts saying, "Steve Jobs wouldn't have let this happened." Well, he did let it happen.

No one can state with absolute certainty that Jobs would have stuck with google maps. Actually, if I had to guess, Apple has probably been working on their maps version for a while, starting while Jobs was still at the helm. Jobs died less than a year ago. You don't decide to abandon an app, come up with a new idea, and develop it and release it in less than a year's time.

Dont know what all the fuss is about; its really not that bad.

As more people use the maps apple gets more data to use to fix the maps. Google did the same thing. By next year it will be all good. And it's not all that bad now.

I agree with both of you. I've used it several times and it's taken me directly to the right spot every time. Once was even to a restaurant that's only been open for a few months....and I searched for it by name through Siri. I didn't enter an address.

[Silverado1987]

Dont know what all the fuss is about; its really not that bad.

Yeah I can't seem to find a thing wrong with maps. Everything works and looks great for me anyway

[unison999]

This whole map situation could have been avoided if Apple just offered their maps as an app to install, noting that it is still in beta stage open to public. People would understand the map is no good, sure there would be complaints but not as bad as now. At least the phone would not get people lost because they have choice to use the original map app...

[Lohand]

It's not like Steve Jobs was void of any bad decisions. Remember the antenna issue? That happened under Steve's watch. It was blown out of proportion, but it still happened under his watch. Had it happened under Cook's watch there no doubt would have been tons of posts saying, "Steve Jobs wouldn't have let this happened." Well, he did let it happen.

No one can state with absolute certainty that Jobs would have stuck with google maps. Actually, if I had to guess, Apple has probably been working on their maps version for a while, starting while Jobs was still at the helm. Jobs died less than a year ago. You don't decide to abandon an app, come up with a new idea, and develop it and release it in less than a year's time.

Exactly! Steve over saw the design of an antenna that could be easily and repeatedly detuned by anyone and when caught he not only wrongfully pointed fingers at other handset makers but told the consumer "you're holding it wrong" despite it being held the same way in Apple's own ads. It was then quietly fix in the CDMA and 4S version of the device. So please let us not rewrite history and get caught up in some romantic notion of Steve who at times could be quite cantankerous. (and I mean that respectfully)... More CEOs should be this truthful and humble. Sayin...

[ThuD Muffin]

A good CEO stands by their product. A great CEO not only does that, but admits it when their products are not up to par. Tim Cook is a great CEO.

[bstunt10190]

Apple is great apple is this....uhhh apple is just another company with issues tooo they have a great platform but so much expectation and then so many mistakes Dont convince me step up the game apple to jobs standards

That was so painful to follow/read. Bro, punctuation is your friend.

[eazhar]

If they didn't force their customers to use it, nobody would use the Beta after the first few bad results. Facebook pushes its changes on its customers. Everyone complains. But then the complaints die down and everyone is cool with it and couldn't ever imagine a facebook before the way it is now. Give it time, it's not as good as Google but clearly they're working on it. This isn't a deterministic "Apple Maps will always suck" kind of thing. It's iterative.