Apple has finally broken silence on the customer reaction to Maps in iOS 6, which spawned Tumblrs, fake Twitter accounts and generally a lot of mockery and confusion. The statement, provided to AllThingsD from Apple spokeswoman Trudy Miller, essentially says this is a first try, and Apple knows there’s lots to do to make it better.
Here’s the statement in full:
Customers around the world are upgrading to iOS 6 with over 200 new features including Apple Maps, our first map service. We are excited to offer this service with innovative new features like Flyover, turn by turn navigation, and Siri integration. We launched this new map service knowing it is a major initiative and that we are just getting started with it. Maps is a cloud-based solution and the more people use it, the better it will get. We appreciate all of the customer feedback and are working hard to make the customer experience even better.
Understandably, this downplays the bad and tries to put focus back on the features of iOS 6 Maps that Apple has wanted to focus on all along. But the fact remains that irate users are unlikely to get over things owing to a simple call for patience. I’m thinking this isn’t the last we’ll hear from Cupertino on this issue, which isn’t likely to go away overnight.