Tim Cook Apologizes For 'Frustrating' Maps App, Suggests Alternatives

Perhaps we should call this Tim Cook's mea culpa moment. The Apple CEO has released a statement for those folks unhappy about Apple's new Maps app in iOS 6. Most surprisingly, the letter actually makes mention of alternative apps.

Take a look:

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. We launched Maps initially with the first version of iOS. As time progressed, we wanted to provide our customers with even better Maps including features such as turn-by-turn directions, voice integration, Flyover and vector-based maps. In order to do this, we had to create a new version of Maps from the ground up. There are already more than 100 million iOS devices using the new Apple Maps, with more and more joining us every day. In just over a week, iOS users with the new Maps have already searched for nearly half a billion locations. The more our customers use our Maps the better it will get and we greatly appreciate all of the feedback we have received from you. 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. Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world. We know that you expect that from us, and we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard. Tim Cook Apple’s CEO

First announced in June, iOS 6 Maps is the first without Google Maps integration. Since it arrived for the public this month, the app has been heavily criticized for its lack of features and in some cases, melting maps. For further reading, check out Opinion: Did I Miss The Memo From Apple Making Us All Beta Testers?, The Best Apple Maps Alternatives Aren’t Found In The App Store, and Turn By Turn Not Working On Your iPhone? Try These Five Favorites. Are you impressed with Cook's letter, or not so much?