Maps, as you know, is Apple’s new, in-house mapping application for iOS 6 – one that has come under fire recently for being much worse than Google Maps, the service that used to run Apple’s mapping needs for iOS.
If you head over to Apple’s website right now, you’ll see that Apple has added a little box to its front page. It reads: “A letter to our customers regarding Maps.”
Last week, it was reported that Apple had locked down its Maps team to fix the problems, but it looks like even that wasn’t enough for CEO Tim Cook. Cook published an apology letter on Apple’s website about his company’s failing. That letter is pasted in its entirety below:
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 a strange move, Cook recommended that disappointed iOS 6 Maps users try out competitors’ offerings while his team fixes Maps, even going so far as to specifically call out those competitors: Bing, MapQuest, Waze, Google, and Nokia all get mentioned in the letter.
Cook promises that Maps will get better in time – but that it will take time and a bit of effort from both Apple itself and customers.
That is, of course, if you can stand using them until they get better – and if you’re like me, then it seems that Apple’s asking a bit too much of its customers.
[Apple]
Big blow to Apple’s pride. Ouch! I don’t mean to laugh at there failure (okay maybe a little) but I think this will teach apple that isolating itself means you can’t point fingers at anyone else when your product sucks, just goes to show no company can do it all. but seriously good job Apple for manning up and sending out an apology letter, I’m sure your customer will be a little less pissed knowing you did.
They admitted to making an error? So they are human? Is there good left in them? O_o
Apple: keep innovating and stop trying to do things that have already been done successfuly by others. Stop stomping on other people’s territory. This is a bigger disaster than Mobile Me..and Ping lol.
I understand how they would want to part ways from the competition though, Len.
But then again one thing is breaking off from a simple task, the other is trying to create a whole new software that requires years of experience, work, and testing.
A perfect example is Apple still using Samsung chips, you just dont go and say im making my own chips. It is stupid, not viable economically and it simply creates new things that is not in their business model.
I think this is a good thing, the apple fanbase is overly (not all of them of course) “religious” about the company and I’m sick of it, hopefully this will open some minds to the rest of the world
I can see Apple bouncing back with a vengeance in the near future…….
personally, i don’t like to see a company with such a good reputation and brand value fail. Sony is the biggest point in case. they are so innovative, yet sidelined quite a lot.
“In a strange move”…
It’s only a strange move in a society where it is expected that executives routinely try to hide a company’s shortcomings and errors.
Rather than “asking a bit too much of its customers”, this upfront admission and suggestion to iOS users can be seen as a breath of fresh air. If Apple customers accept this as it is evidently meant, maybe other digital leaders will lean more towards honestly confronting problems and being straightforward with their customers when unexpected issues arise.
Granted, in a perfect world, Apple would not have installed their mapping app before it was really ready and there would have been no need for such a letter as this. However, neither customers nor corporate executives live in a perfect world. Let’s hope that Apple learns from this error and that the app is soon brought up to full function. In the meantime, maybe we can just accept the letter at face value and temporarily give Apple a bit of a pass on this. While Apple has never been one of my favorite corps, in this case it looks like they have acted responsibly.