iPhone 5 Problems: Apple CEO Tim Cook Apologizes for iOS 6 Maps Mess

Culture

Apple CEO Tim Cook apologized for the malfunctions of the iOS 6 maps solution that overshadowed the much anticipated release of iPhone 5 last week. However, Wall Street analyst Brian White considers Cook's move a bad idea. 

"Despite the chorus of negative media coverage around the new Apple maps, Tim Cook did not have to write this letter and bring even more attention to this issue," White, of Topeka Capital Markets, said

Apple published Cook's open letter on its website: "We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better," Cook wrote. He promised the crowd sourced service would improve over time, as more users use the app.  

He also recommended users to seek temporary alternatives, such as downloading Microsoft's Bing app and Google's Maps (which still can be accessed through iPhone's browser Safari). According to Cook, 100 million people are already using Apple's new map solution. 

Despite White's reaction, other analysts and public relation experts applauded Cook's move, as they think it'll help quell the tsunami of bad press and online complaints that engulfed Apple's much anticipated release of iPhone 5 and its new operating system iOS 6.

Meanwhile, Google's chairman Eric E. Schmidt, Google’s chairman said that though Apple should have stuck with Google Maps his company is working on a new iOS-based native application.

Read Cook’s full letter below:

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 CookApple’s CEO