Apple Issues Insincere Map App Apology: No Plans to Offer Google Map Equivalent

by Holly Shoemaker

Today, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook issued a letter of apology to customers to address the disappointment and performance of its iOS 6 Apple Maps.

Overview of Apology

Apple apologized for the frustration its map app has caused, and said the company continues to work on improving functionality.

In the letter, Time Cook had no choice but to mention the option of using other apps until Apple addresses all issues – the letter even mentions Google Maps and Nokia Maps. However, Microsoft’s Bing gains the first mention, showing that Apple will not go out of its way to admit its mistake of splitting with Google Maps too soon.

Concluding Thoughts

Apple’s apology does not come across sincere. Instead of sticking to an apology, the company took the time to praise itself on the number of people using iOS 6, and stated that customers have searched for half a billion locations.

The letter should do little to diminish people’s frustrations with the application and its latest operating system. The numbers also do not equate to success when people retrieve incorrect information from the app. Furthermore, a letter of apology does not change the outcome that Apple has no equivalent product to Google Maps, which used to come as the default map app on previous iPhones. On Tuesday, Google confirmed that it had not submitted a map app to the Apple’s Apple Store. 

Apple prematurely severed its ties with Google here – being Apple only gets the company so far. It will have to quickly deliver an updated and tested application to its loyal customers. If not, Android and other products like Nokia Maps will continue to gain more customers.

Apple Drops YouTube App: Google’s Search Engine Next?

by Holly Shoemaker

Earlier this week, Apple announced that when it releases iOS 6, its latest operating system, the company will no longer offer Google’s YouTube app as a pre-installed one on iPhones and iPads. At is developer’s conference earlier this year, Apple announced that it would also drop Google Maps from the new iPhone.

Licensing Issue?

Apple said that its license with YouTube ended, but that consumers may still use YouTube via the Safari browser. At this time, Apple has not said if it will replace YouTube with another app.

Concluding Thoughts

It is no surprise that Apple continues to drop apps associated with Google. As the race to win the smartphone market continues to heat up, so will the app war. Analysts expect that Google needs to worry about a larger matter – that Apple will drop Google as the default search engine on the iPhone. While that is unknown until the contract expires, Apple should think of how that move could affect its customers. Google is still the largest, and in my opinion, most effective search engine. Sorry Bing – I do not think Google’s potential loss will become Microsoft’s gain.