Hot off news of Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook’s public apology for iOS 6′s awful new Maps app, the Cupertino-based company is now going the extra mile to help upset iOS 6 users find mapping alternatives. As discovered by Digital Trends’ Molly McHugh, the App Store home page now has a big icon that says “Find maps for your iPhone.” Users who click on it will find a list of map apps that Apple recommends. Currently at the top of the charts is MotionX GPS Drive, Waze and MapQuest.
Cook’s apology and the new maps app section are clear admissions that the integrated iOS Maps app will take some time to fix; it could even be years before Maps begins to approach the quality of more established offerings.
Remember, Google’s (GOOG) Maps app didn’t become an all-star overnight — it took seven years for Google Maps to get to what it is today. And Google now has a team of 7,100 employees working in that division alone. Until Google releases a proper standalone Google Maps app for iOS (if it releases one), users who are running iOS 6 will just have to look elsewhere for their mapping needs.
This is what users will see after they click on the “Find maps for your iPhone/iPad” button on the App Store:
[Via Cult of Mac]