Apple CEO Tim Cook issues apology for Maps lapse

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Apple's CEO Tim Cook issued an apology to customers who may have experienced issues with the new Maps app that comes standard with iOS 6. In a letter on Apple.com, Cook stated that more than 100 million devices were already using the app, which have searched half a billion locations.

Cook's letter, which can be found in full after the break, promises that Maps will get better and gives users the option to download "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."

The letter shows that Cook and Apple are looking out for their customers' best interests and optimal navigation experience on iOS, even if it means using competing products from Google or Nokia. 

Tim Cook's Open letter from Apple.com

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