iPhone 5-maker Apple has apologised for the fiasco surrounding the handset’s built-in Maps application, which has been sending users on a wild goose-chase in terms of navigation. Apple abandoned the use of Google Maps on their handsets in favour of their own in-house maps navigation system – which has, so far, failed to deliver, with many of the maps showing incorrect information.
“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,” CEO Tim Cook said in a statement.
“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,” he continued.
While the issues are being attended to, Cook offered a number of alternative navigation applications. “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 added that Apple will continue to work on the problem until it has been resolved. “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.”
Charlie Fripp – Consumer Tech editor
