Towns renamed or relocated, 3D looks like a funhouse mirror

Sep 20, 2012 14:14 GMT  ·  By

Apple is going to have some trouble explaining why, in the iOS 6 Maps app, the town of Hagley in the U.K. is now called Dudley, or why there’s an incorrectly-placed airfield in Dublin, or why the Flyover view sometimes shows images of another dimension.

These are just a few reports from several high-profile publications across the globe where early adopters of Apple’s iOS 6 operating system have discovered a faulty Maps application.

For example, the Irish Times published a story according to which Apple's Maps app has incorrectly placed a new airfield in Dublin.

Minister of Justice, Alan Shatter, actually took the time to write a letter to Apple, in which he said, “I know on occasion mistakes can be made and I am surprised to discover that Airfield, which is the centre of my constituency in Dundrum, has, in Apple's new operating system iOS 6 maps application, been designated with the image of an aircraft.”

NorthScotNews reports that Apple's new Maps sent Scotland "back to the dark ages," arguing that areas such as Inverness, Thurso, Tain, Nairn, and Ullapool show up in black and white when viewed from the satellite.

Japan is quite affected as well, going by this stream of images on tumblr. The Flyover view is certainly not what Apple promised it to be. At least not every time the customer taps the 3D button.

And, according to the BBC the new application renamed a town in the UK from Hagley to Dudley. To Apple’s defence, Dudley is but a mile away.

However, the company promotes the new Maps application as the flagship feature of iOS 6 with turn-by-turn navigation capabilities and integration with Siri, the voice-enabled assistant.

No one would trust a mapping service that’s off by a mile, we reckon.

To be noted that Apple’s iOS 6 Maps application is Apple’s, not Google’s. The two giants broke off all mapping ties, and even their YouTube license, when iOS 6 debuted.

It has been speculated that Google might attempt to release a new dedicated maps application for iOS customers. However, Apple would have to approve it in its App Store for customers to download it.

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iOS 6 Maps app issues explained by a disappointed customer
The 3D view acting up
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