Tim Cook Publishes Open Letter on Maps for iOS 6

[mtrctyjoe]

They should have just called it a beta and let everyone know that it was a work in progress and that signification improvements were on the way and that collecting data from users would help speed things along - so they introduced the beta first - they were smart enough to do that with Siri ... I just don't get it.

[bbplayer5]

Originally Posted by shortcrust

I'm guessing you don't live outside the USA!

Ha, true, I dont

[Gluben]

I have an iPhone 4 and am aware of no 3D imagery, but the rendering on the plain maps app is very good, but the satellite imagery for Chelmsford, and much of Essex, is missing, so I've reported it.

Directions seem fine to me too. The only thing is search - searching for North Hertfordshire College, Willian Road brought up North Hertfordshire Road or something similar.

I'm happy with it really. Storm in a teacup, methinks.

[chairguru22]

Apple should've called it a Beta and it would've been all good...

[Andy-V]

Originally Posted by Mundty

Has anyone not had issues with the new Maps app? Obviously there's a lot of people who have, but I'm wondering if this is universal problem or only related to certain areas.

Speaking only from personal experience, the new Maps app has yet to let me down. Every time I've used it, it takes me directly to my destination and the GPS itself seems very accurate. It seems more like a database issue than anything else, some areas just aren't mapped out as well as they could be.

Of course there's plenty of areas that really are fine, no doubt. But I know over here in the UK it's not very good. I live near Brighton, a major city and the closest satellite imagery shows the entire city when with Google you could make out the road markings and individual people.

When it's bad, it's really bad. When it's good, it's 'okay'.

[adildacoolset]

Originally Posted by shortcrust

I'm guessing you don't live outside the USA!

Where I am(Zambia), maps seems to be doing better than google maps, except for a few roads. But otherwise better interface, and surprisingly more landmarks.

[BillyBobBongo]

Originally Posted by Tim Cook

In just over a week, iOS users with the new Maps have already searched for nearly half a billion locations.

Hmm, he doesn't say how many people actually found where they wanted to go!

[KPOM]

Originally Posted by identity

No, Apple released a beta Maps and claimed it to be a finished product, just like Siri was last year.

They actually said Siri was beta. Since they had a year left on their Google deal, perhaps they could have launched Apple Maps as a "beta" this year. They made a strategic decision not to do so.

[Steve121178]

Originally Posted by Mjmar

Maps aren't even that bad, they're actually quite good in most cases. People need to calm down.

It's rubbish and an embarrassment. It thinks my town is 300 miles away! And the detail is sparse so say the very least. It's an appalling product.

[Oletros]

Originally Posted by hasanahmad

looks like the dumb people are out of the Bush works knowing nothing about crowd-sourcing and user data.

Looks like the dumb people are out of the Busj works not knowing that is not only a crowdsourcing problem

[rdstoll]

The end is nigh. This apology will be just one of many as Apple struggles to keep up with increasing competition while trying to hold the line on pricing.

[rhett7660]

Originally Posted by blakespot

I've said it on twitter and I'll say it again: I have had better experience with Apple's new Maps app on iOS 6 / iPhone 5 in the last week than any other time using a GPS prior.

I am new to turn-by-turn directions, late to the party - yes, but I put it to good use in Maps on iOS 6, driving through DC and into MD and it felt like magic. Truly.

Maps on iOS 6 is one of my favorite new features.

That's my experience.

bp

That makes two of us. No complaints here.

[Jax44]

Originally Posted by Rodimus Prime

Well he knows apple maps suck. He also is not going to do stuff out of spit like the former leader. I could easily believe that Apple maps be pushed out on ios 6 was the former leaders reasoning and plans were to far in motion for Tim to change them

You were there, right?

[dontpannic]

Originally Posted by samcraig

In order to do this, we had to create a new version of Maps from the ground up.[/I]

No - they could have re-negotiated with Google. They chose not to. No harm/no foul - but that doesn't mean they HAD to. Err on omission of truth.

They did, and Google:

A) Wouldn't give them turn by turn directions
B) Wanted data collection and Latitude built in to iOS

[jrswizzle]

Originally Posted by samcraig

Not a fair comparison as data and technology has changed since then.

But that's the point. Why is everyone expecting Apple's fix of the situation to be on the same timeline as Google's? As you said technology and data have changed - and given that Apple has already been working on this since 2009 and they have an enormous user-base, I'd venture a guess that we will see HUGE improvements over the course of the next year.

That being said, my area is just a little out of date given that most of it has only recently been developed (last 6 months to a year). Other than that I have had ZERO issues as I'm sure a majority of people have had. The difference is, you don't run to the internet to tell everyone "Hey this maps app works fine", unless of course you're like me and are here on MR on a regular basis and are worn out by all of the "Apple Doom" and outrageous overreaction that's taking place.

[newyorksole]

Maps isn't HORRIBLE, it just isn't as good as Google's Maps (which we're all used to).

Apple should have at least asked Google to have an App ready in the App Store...

[chairguru22]

Have you guys tried Google's new MapsGL? It's not that great either...

[sazivad]

Originally Posted by chairguru22

Apple should've called [Apple Maps] a beta and it would've been all good…

If this were true, Siri would be everyone's favorite product.

[onthecouchagain]

I really hope this sets the precedence for certain Apple fans. It's okay to admit Apple isn't perfect, and as true Apple fans, it's paramount to voice shortcomings honestly. There are more things of iOS that "fall short" (the keyboard, for example, which gave birth to a similar internet phenomenon known as "Damn You iPhone Auto Correction").

At last, the days of "it just works" may be finally behind us. That one phrase has led to so many misconceptions of the iPhone, and have been, I think, detrimental to Apple.

[Steve121178]

Originally Posted by CrAkD

Bah I wouldn't have apologized. Maps has been fine for me. I bet more then half the people complaining are android users that haven't even used it.

Outside of the USA, it's a joke.

Think a little more before you post. What works well for you doesn't necessarily work great for 100's of millions of other people.

[aardwolf]

Originally Posted by bbplayer5

Lets be real. Maps is "ok" now, but give it about 6 months and its going to be all you use. I personally use it a lot and have never had an issue with it.

I have been using it since the first iOS 6 betas... I live in the Memphis, TN area. I could type in "Starbucks", and it would come up with a random Starbucks in the United States... not the nearest ones to the current map location (like Maps did.)

That said, I just did the same search and it works now.

[adbe]

Originally Posted by WindowsTraitor

Admitting defeat....... YOU ARE HOLDING IT WRONG.... That is an answer.

I apologize..... You just lost the battle right there....

I am sorry to say it, but this IP5 will be the first of many dissapointments for applers....

You're 12 right? No I'm not being snarky. I'm assuming you have to be. Anyone with even a few years of experience with Apple (or any manufacturer for that matter) would know this is hardly the *first* disappointment. As you say, it's not going to be the last either, but that not because of some pernicious trend, it's just because sometimes stuff falls short.

If Apple get their maps up to speed within the next year or so (which they will, because they have no other choice) all this will mostly be forgotten. In the same way that pretty much everyone except a few sad Internet weenies have forgotten about the antenna issues of the iPhone 4,and people don't endless rabbit on about how badly OS X sucked at launch, or how badly Steve stuffed it with the cube.

[cullenl87]

Cook trolling like A PRO.

....I hope.

[avanpelt]

I understand why he follows the "the more you use Apple Maps the better it will get" with "you can also try our competitors' mapping products", but it's still interesting that he mentions the competitors at all.

I feel certain Steve Jobs would've never released a letter like this. I don't think he ever released a letter like this with MobileMe. The closest he came to saying something like this was during the "Antennagate" press conference.

However, I think the release of this letter so quickly shows that the folks at the top at Apple now are listening and that they're willing to admit that they're human and that they sometimes screw up. It takes guts to do that when you're a small company. It takes even bigger chops to do that when you're the most valuable company on the planet.

Hats off to Tim for being transparent about their recognition of the problem. I think if we start seeing big tangible fixes to Apple Maps within the next several months, Tim Cook will be remembered for passing his second public challenge as CEO with flying colors. The first challenge being the whole FoxConn working conditions controversy. I hope Apple steps up to the plate big time with this Maps issue and shows what it's capable of.

[chrisd1974]

Mundty I can't see where you live so it's hard to comment - but where I live the problems are as follows:

The aerial photos are older than google maps and less clear
Streets do not line up correctly with the aerial photos
All streets are white - no heirarchy of coloring to show major and minor routes
No transit data
No traffic data
Incorrect naming of districts
No streetview
No walking directions

Apart from that it's perfect.

Originally Posted by Mundty

Has anyone not had issues with the new Maps app? Obviously there's a lot of people who have, but I'm wondering if this is universal problem or only related to certain areas.

Speaking only from personal experience, the new Maps app has yet to let me down. Every time I've used it, it takes me directly to my destination and the GPS itself seems very accurate. It seems more like a database issue than anything else, some areas just aren't mapped out as well as they could be.