In a rare admission of error, Apple CEO Tim Cook apologised over what the industry has dubbed “MappleGate”. The apology, published last week, is doubly unusual in that Cook suggests rival map solutions as an alternative while the company is sorting out the current flaws in the native map application.
Apple also seems to have removed a claim regarding the Maps app from its website, altering a description which said that Maps is “All of which may just make this app the most beautiful, powerful mapping service ever” to read instead: “All in a beautiful vector-based interface that scales and zooms with ease.” Apple has not confirmed whether this is related to the application’s sketchy performance.
Unlike the AntennaeGate situation with the launch of the iPhone 4, where the late Steve Jobs famously answered a consumer’s email by saying “You’re holding it wrong”, Apple has taken all of the blame for the Maps app’s poor performance. Previously the company almost entirely refused to admit that there was a problem with the design of the iPhone 4’s antenna, offering free bumpers and cases to users as a temporary fix. Not saying sorry seems to have worked for the company in the past, will admitting a blunder pay off any better?
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.”