Cupertino promises that the service will improve over time

Sep 21, 2012 08:33 GMT  ·  By

The new iOS 6 Maps application has become the laughing stock of the tech blogosphere. Serious glitches affect the software, such as the Statue of Liberty disappearing from its socket, and the Washington Monument showing up about a mile south from its actual position.

Soon after customers upgraded to iOS 6, the Internet went ablaze with photos depicting graphical glitches, relocated monuments and cities, etc.

Apple haters made the most of this opportunity, showing screenshots of the Maps application acting up, even a photo of Berlin pinpointed right smack in the middle of Antarctica.

In response to these issues, Apple PR representative Trudy Miller told AllThingsD that the service would improve over time.

“Customers around the world are upgrading to iOS 6 with over 200 new features including Apple Maps, our first map service.”

“We are excited to offer this service with innovative new features like Flyover, turn by turn navigation, and Siri integration.”

“We launched this new map service knowing it is a major initiative and that we are just getting started with it. Maps is a cloud-based solution and the more people use it, the better it will get. We appreciate all of the customer feedback and are working hard to make the customer experience even better.”

What Miller is saying is that Maps’ algorithms, inherited from Apple’s C3 acquisition, need time to fledge. Google had an early start, and Apple is now pushing to get where Google is in a fraction of the time it took the search giant to accomplish everything that its Maps service offers. It’s a tough job.

Rumors are swirling around that Google might attempt to release a standalone iOS Maps app in Apple’s App Store. For that to happen, however, Apple itself would need to give its consent (i.e. approve the binary).

Some argue that this wouldn’t be a very smart move, as it would “bail out” the Cupertino giant right as it’s launching the iPhone 5. And some pundits say they haven’t heard anything about a new Google Maps app.

Photo Gallery (2 Images)

Distorted Eiffel tower
Relocated Washington monument
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