Apple has finally apologized for its troublesome new maps application and suggested that customers switch to products offered by rivals Microsoft and Google.
In a public letter addressed to customers, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the company “fell short” of its commitment to excellence with the new app, which has been panned because it fails to properly name many roads, buildings and points of interest.
Cook’s letter acknowledges the problems and suggests customers, “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 Web sites and creating an icon on your home screen to their Web app.”
The new app, which Apple built “from the ground up,” replaced a Google-powered app that was a key feature on the iPhone since the device’s introduction in 2007.
However when the time came to negotiate a new contract earlier this year, the tech behemouths failed to come to an agreement, which prompted Apple to hastily build its new app.
The key to the failed negotiations was Apple’s desire to add voice-controlled turn-by-turn navigation, a feature Google was unwilling to add because it would give Apple a key advantage over Google’s Android operating system, according to AllThingsD.com.