Tim Cook, chief executive of Apple Inc., released a statement on Apple's website Friday, apologizing to customers who are frustrated with continuous errors in its new Maps service. This service is available on the new iOS 6, a highly anticipated update to the apple mobile software, Reuters reported.
Users complained that the new Maps application contained geographical errors, lacked features that made the app prior to this one, Google Maps, so popular from public transit directions to traffic data and street-view pictures. The new service also has gaps in the information it give customers.
"We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better," Cook said in the statement released on the website.
He added that the company "fell short of its commitment to deliver the best experience possible to our customers."
Cook made an unusual move, which he suggested customers to download Apple's rival mapping services, such as Google Maps, in the App Store while the company fixed the product.
"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," he said in his statement.
According to Reuters, Cook's apology indicates how Apple is changing under the chief executive, who took over last year just before co-founder Steve Jobs died.
"It is a bit unusual but at the same time, Tim is keeping Apple's commitment to provide the best user experience for customers," Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu said told Reuters.
"A key reason for Apple's success is keeping customers happy so we think this is a good move. "People forget that Google Maps started out inferior to Mapquest and Yahoo Maps," he added.
This is not the first time Apple has encountered a problem with a new software release. Reuters reported that in 2010, the company faced a widespread of criticism, when users complained of signal reception issues when the iPhone 4 model first released.
