Tim Cook: 'So sorry for Apple's crap maps app - try Bing or Nokia' Apple CEO Tim Cook has, out of the blue, apologised for the crap Apple maps app in iOS 6 - and suggested punters turn to rivals Microsoft, Google and Nokia. The letter published on Friday on Apple.com states that everyone at Apple is "extremely sorry" for "the frustration" that the new satnav-like software caused for loyal …
... "That is all" ... ?! ... well, this is more than can be expected ... "Goodness Gracious Me" ... there is light at the horizon, at least since the brightness himself (Jobs) is dimming away ... Apple admits a failure (rather quickly) ... maybe it's time to consider Apple products ... still though, waging "nuclear war" on other tech companies does not sound anything like as: "Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world" ... rather than: "Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the only remaining in the world" ...
So, let me get this one straight.
When iPhone 4 had attenuation issues, Jobs did not explicitly apologize, but offered free cases - something that cost Apple money and had value for the consumers.
Fast forward to Tim Cook.
When iOS 6 maps are inherently unusable, Cook apologizes, but rather than offering anything of value for the mistake (e.g. iTunes gift card for Sygic or other map app), he suggests people use Apple Maps more as a solution.
Am I the only one who sees this as a step backward and would prefer Jobs non-apology with associated compensation (no matter how small)?
Be honest, this makes no difference whatsoever, I've never used the facility on any of my phones, if in the car I use a Tom Tom, and sometimes a bit of paper called a road atlas.
There's so much reliance on electronic devices that will all let you down at one time or another.
A paper, chart, map or Atlas doesn't run out of batteries, doesn't give false readings.
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"Be honest, this makes no difference whatsoever, I've never used the facility on any of my phones,"
No difference to you, its a key feature for a lot of people, and the functionality has been deliberately crippled over a spat.
For all Apple's mantras about their user experience, they have sacrificed it pretty quickly in this case.
I maintain that Jobs would never have allowed this to ship, not even released as a bets. Never a fan of Jobs myself, but he always maintained an absolute focus on the user experience, which is the sole reason they can charge a premium on everything they sell.
What they SHOULD have done was plastered the word "BETA" all over it (or even better "ALPHA"). That way when you end up in the middle of a forest on farm tracks (like I did with Google mapping), they can say "Ah ha! But you should have realised it was only in beta/alpha...". Releasing unfinished software to the general population for beta testing is now de jure! Get with the fricking programme!
"A paper, chart, map or Atlas doesn't run out of batteries, doesn't give false readings."
So, if you are lost in an unfamiliar town, you have a full map of the UK down to street level for all towns and villages?
Do you also pack a compass and sextant for locating your position?
Do you get a new set of maps every year to cover all those new roads?
I've seen inaccurate UK atlases either missing out new motorways or including new ones that are behind schedule and not yet built.
Odd I managed with maps for most of my life. You actually use landmarks for positioning - go figure! GPS would have been handy in thick fog on some army exercises but I wouldn't trust any electronic stuff in mountain areas that could definitely lead to a "dead end".
Umm, who said anything about unsupported? Did you read the original post?
Let me spell it out for you, in case this is a bit difficult.
There's nothing to prevent you installing an older version of iOS except the hurdles that Apple put in place to prevent that. There are *zero* technical reasons for this. What was being asked for here is perfectly reasonable and perfectly feasible. The poster here wasn't suggesting people jailbreak their devices, he was suggesting Apple allow them to downgrade, and that is something over which they have complete control.
Indeed. But then Apple would no longer be able to run stories of "X% of users on latest IOS within days, Android users have to wait!"
The reality may be that Android users are better off waiting until the OS is tried and tested by the manufacturer for their specific device, rather than being rushed out all at once just to get some marketing spin. Unfortunately the reality doesn't seem to make as good marketing.
And still no-one is listening. Yes, they make the most money from those who prefer style over substance. Yes, it made them the most valuable co in the world. But all these duds just go to show there's only 1 place to go from there, and the proof is in the cracks starting to appear in the sales figures.
iPhone4 sales flag: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444025204577547361858270658.html
iPhone5 sales miss estimates: http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58774:iPhone-5-sales-miss-estimates&catid=69
Wow bob, that's an interesting point that i've never heard before. If someone guessed apple would sell 10 million phones in 3 days (and we're talking about professional guessers who are always right, obv) and then apple only sell 5 million, well that must mean apple are doomed. And I thought they'd just grow for ever, expanding out into the universe bringing iProducts to all the space aliens. You've certainly taught me a thing or two about economics.
Yes, I am being sarcastic.
Thank you so much anonymous smartarse. I'm new to sarcasm so any pointers like "don't actually tell people you're being sarcastic" are really valuable and gratefully received. hopefully with a little guidance from anonymous fucktards like you i'll soon be able to make sarcastic comments just like a professional! Oh, I can hardly wait.
Yes, I am being sarcastic.
BOLLOCKS! It was going so well too...
Whilst the missed estimates don't mean much, it is true they are declining. Apple's sales started small, and gradually rose to a peak around end of 2011 with the iphone 4S. Nokia had been number one for years, but they had now ditched the amazingly successful Symbian to the still small WP, which meant for the ill-defined "smartphone" category, Apple and Samsung were now neck and neck for number one. The media were hysterical over Apple's possible success (never mind that they never praised Nokia for being in that position for years...) And whilst Android was ahead of iphone, at ~50% share, with the demise of Symbian there was a chance that iphone could at least become a platfom with amost 50% share.
Except, that was just a bump right after the new iphone release - in 2012, their sales have dropped dramatically (a drop 10 million in the last quarter alone). Samsung sales have rocketed, such that their Android phones alone now outsell Apple 2 to 1. Android's share nears 70%, with iphone falling to ~16%, and even WP is now increasing. There was always the possibility that iphone 5 might give them a huge boost again, but it doesn't seem it will change the long term pattern.
And yes, 5 million in 3 days right after a major new generation isn't anything special. Samsung (and Nokia, previously) do a million or more a day all year round.
I agree with the OP - it seems that their peak has passed. And that was a peak that was never number one in the phone market.
"in 2012, their sales have dropped dramatically (a drop 10 million in the last quarter alone). Samsung sales have rocketed,"
I think the 4S was a big mistake strategically. Don't wish to enrgage the fanbois, but the 4S wasn't a compelling upgrade if you already had a 4. Especially for the crowd that buys based on looks.
By not making it a compelling upgrade in that cycle users looked at the alternatives, and it looks like a lot of them now have samsungs.
Guess time will tell if the 5 is enough to win them back...
"I think the 4S was a big mistake strategically. Don't wish to enrgage the fanbois, but the 4S wasn't a compelling upgrade if you already had a 4. Especially for the crowd that buys based on looks."
Whilst it's true that a niche number of smartphone users upgrade to the newest model every year, the vast majority don't, they sit out their 2 year contracts and then have a look at the offerings, in this context I think Apple plays very well, each iteration is attractive to those coming out of contract whilst not being compelling for those who are on the last iteration, a stratagy somewhat helped by OS upgrades for the previous generations adding some features from the latest phone.
Regarding the OT though, Apple will peak when they're forced to licence their OS's to third parties, which I'd guess will be about 5 years away if they wait for someone else to decide for them.
Given that people have reasons to buy phones at different times, it seems rather risky to base a model assuming that everyone wants to upgrade at the same point once every two years...
(It doesn't help that they can't even stick to that - it's been 2.5 years since the iphone 4... Also unfortunately, the iphone 5 is really the 4SS - still an incremental upgrade.)
Why would they be forced to licence their OS to third parties?
Analyst get it wrong, yeah because that's never happened before...
If it did not sell as many as the 4s then your comment may have some *small* justification for existing, as it is even you don't really believe it - not deep down, you know in your heart that it just as irrelevant as the analysts pre-launch predictions.
I do feel sorry for you that you do not have something more interesting in life to focus on rather than you irrational hatred for a company that is doing well.
Because, if the professional guessers, whose job it is to be far more right than wrong day-to-day, were wrong using their normally-pretty-accurate methodologies, well, that would mean your iThing no longer has the cachet that made you buy it.
Which is a bit like your house losing value after you bought it. Perhaps more like buying Levi jeans cos the advert was shiny and made you feel like you'd be dead cool wearing them only to find out the following week that everyone was now buying Diesel or Soviet. The perpetual peril of style over substance.
The cachet of your status symbol may decrease as well as increase...
"Yes, they make the most money from those who prefer style over substance."
Sigh. Maybe iPhone users prefer style AND substance. The only "substance" my Android-using friends tout is the ability to replace their virtual keyboards with "Swype" and have animated wallpapers. Very impressive, if you don't have a job and work to do.
The only "substance" my Android-using friends tout is the ability to replace their virtual keyboards with "Swype" and have animated wallpapers. Very impressive, if you don't have a job and work to do.
Funny you should say that. I made sure to get Swype onto my S3 at all costs because I have shit to do...
But then when I'm doing actual worky stuff, the N900 comes out, because for getting said shit done, Maemo still stands tall as king. Let's see you rattle off complex Bash commands on your iPhone.
Could be right there. Our 12 year old asked for the new Galaxy Note over the "New iPad" for her birthday. She's got pals who already have iPads but she thought they were a bit "meh" compared to Samsungs new offering. This 12 year old is like most others her age where being seen in the right clothes and with the right accessories is important, so what does that tell us about Apple's "coolness". Big corporate brands like to hook their customers young, if they're not catching the eye of the current crop of style concious 11-14 year olds then they're doing something wrong or their competitors are doing it better.
Apple had their window when mobile phones needed that spark of innovation to kick the industry up the backside, but everyone else has now crawled in through the same window - despite Apple trying to close it with silly patent violation court cases. Also the kids who preferred playing with their lego and playmobile back when Apple were surprising the market with their new shineys probably weren't that concious of the cool factor and the fanboi thing was a bit over their heads.
These new "customers" have a fantastic choice of non-Apple competitors (Windows Phone 8 as well) that just wasn't there a few years back. Apple's gear and the look of IOS is looking just a bit tired/dated now to these kids and Android 4 is a tasty looking OS, and the new Windows 8 tablet stuff is tempting my own wallet.
I don't think Apple are going to crash and burn like they did under Sculley but they're going to have to compete and innovate more than they are right now to stay on top of the "cool". I think we'll see their popularity drop a bit then level out, they'll still produce high quality products but they also have to be careful. Steve may have gotten away with antenna-gate and if he was still alive today he'd probably have risen above the criticisms of the maps problem because he was "Steve" and everyone loved Steve. But today Apple has no Steve and they just have Tim, and Tim just isn't the same thing.
Night out with a group of I-work-in-theaytre-dahling luvvies last night.
A couple of years ago it would have been 100% Apple territory, and plenty of 'Look at my new shiny, isn't it clever.'
Last night it was 50% Samsungs. And no iPhone 5s.
So yes - coolness gone now.
I don't see how Cook is the man to get it back. He's an engineer not a marketing guy, and I don't think he understands the monster he's leading or his customers as well as Jobs did.
I'd be happy to be surprised, because app development still pays well.
But unless Maps is fixed soon and iOS 7 is made of planet-exploding awesome, I'm not optimistic.
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