Apple criticized over new iOS 6 Maps app

Scott Forstall, Apple's senior vice president of iOS Software, talks about features for the new iOS 6 software, including a new maps program, during the Apple Developers Conference in San Francisco, Monday, June 11, 2012. (AP / Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Consumers are flooding Twitter with more scorn than praise for the recently launched Apple iOS 6 new Maps application.

The feature was released on Wednesday with the new operating system after Apple ditched the Google Maps app.

“It’s definitely a step backwards for iPhone users,” said technology expert Kris Abel.

The newly launched Apple Maps promised a beautifully designed application that would include incredibly detailed graphics and text.

Apple said it was built from the ground up, including features such as turn-by-turn navigation, real-time traffic updates and 3D fly-over navigation.

Canadians are among the users who will have access to many of these features upon release. Not all countries will be showcased with 3D graphics, with the feature primarily in the United States. While major cities such as Toronto and Calgary can be featured in 3D, not all of Canada will be showcased this way.

Users that primarily used the app to navigate transit and bike routes will be disappointed to find the new app devoid of these time-savers. Upon hitting the route button option, people will be directed to the App Store with the option to download additional transit apps.

While turn-by-turn navigation is listed as available on Canada’s application, one Twitter user took to the web tweeting “@kempthead Twitter users also reported that the app which offers turn-by-turn directions is not available in Canada.”

A huge number of customers have already taken to Apple’s forum to complain. Complaints ranged from satellite image resolution being unbelievably low to some users saying locations were completely non-existent and others were in the wrong location.

“Right now Europe is going absolutely nuts, Berlin was mislabelled as an entirely different city. When you search for London it takes you to London, Ontario,” said Abel.

Compared to Europe, Canadian and U.S. users have much more accurate maps,he said.

Raj Boora @idarknight tweeted saying many of the areas outside Ring Road in Edmonton are about six years out of date.

Meanwhile @polarattitude added “new IOS 6 Maps are horrendously out of date in Calgary. For Canada’s second fastest growing city we sure lag behind in a lot of things…”

A Twitter account entitled “@fake_iOS6maps” dedicated its entire feed to parodying the new app. The accounts first tweet on Thursday read “Hey, it’s my first day on the job. I can’t help you get around or search for things, or tell you where you are, but look how pretty!” The account has since been suspended from Twitter.

Even a Tumblr account, The Amazing iOS 6 Maps, is compiling user images of Apple map failures submitted by users.

Twitter user @tomteotico added “Don’t know how going to cope without Google Maps on iOS 6, can’t even streetview the maps and 3D vers doesn’t even work in Canada.”

Along with a host of tweets complaining about the app, tweets also offered suggestions to get around the Maps app until it improves. A few tweets suggested going to maps.google.com and downloading it, or simply using the Google Maps website.

Traffic information is one of the most helpful features on Apple maps, said Abel. Yellow lines are shown where there is heavy traffic and red lines show construction areas.

Apple iPhone 5 users will also notice for the first time that the YouTube app will not be integrated automatically but will be available for download in the App Store.

The new Apple iPhone 5 debuted with enormous sales, doubling the previous record of one million iPhone 4S devices sold last year. The new device topped two million sales in the first 24 hours.

The iPhone’s mapping information is taken from Tom Tom, a leading supplier of in-car location and navigation products.

“We do have to remember seven years ago when Google launched there were a lot of comical errors,” said Abel.

“Apple certainly has a lot of catching up to do.”