14 DAY TRIAL // In a rare move, Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has released a statement regarding iOS Maps in the form of an open letter. The apologetic message is reminiscent of those sent out by the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, whenever he felt the public needed a wakeup call.
Addressed simply “To our customers,” Tim Cook’s letter states, “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,” writes Cook.
The letter continues with the Apple CEO recalling the first version of iOS and the company’s commitment to provide a comprehensive mapping solution for every iPhone owner.
Hinting at Apple’s failed discussions with Google over the iOS implementation of Google Maps, Cook tells Apple fans, “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.”
Cook stresses that, “In order to do this, we had to create a new version of Maps from the ground up.”
After dishing out some figures (such as the 100 million iOS 6 installations), the Apple CEO reminds the public that the iOS Maps issue is temporary.
“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,” he notes.
Cook then recommends to customers who rely on maps to try alternatives from the Mac App Store. Strangely, Bing is the first title to come out of Cook’s mouth, followed by MapQuest and Waze.
The apologetic message ends with the CEO promising fans that [Apple] will keep working “non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard” as customers have come to expect from the company.