iPhone 5 availability spreads amid Apple Maps problem apology
A new Apple iPhone always creates a massive amount of attention and the launch of the iPhone 5 last week was no exception. The phone received a lot of initial praise, not only for the hardware but also the new mobile operating system, iOS 6. However Apple seems to have hit rather a barrage of criticism since with various problems being widely reported. Today we want to let you know about how the iPhone 5 is now spreading in availability to more countries while at the same time Apple CEO Tim Cook has issued an apology regarding the new Apple Maps app problem.
We’ve already detailed some of the many problems about the iPhone 5 and recently rounded them up here. Despite these issues though the iPhone 5 is still selling in phenomenal numbers and yesterday the iPhone 5 was launched in 22 more countries around the world. It first began selling on September 21 in many regions such as the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong and elsewhere and the second wave of releases became available yesterday, September 28.
The new countries to see the launch of the iPhone 5 are, in alphabetical order — “Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland,” as detailed by eWeek. Five million iPhone 5s were sold over the first weekend on sale and Jefferies analyst Peter Misek said that between 2 and 3 million more have already been reserved for the second stage of release.
We don’t imagine that those people who have already pre-ordered their iPhone 5 in the new wave of countries to see the launch will be put off by some of the problems that have arisen with it. It may of course put off some people who were still thinking about making a purchase though and maybe that’s why Tim Cook, Apple CEO, issued a statement yesterday with a pretty heartfelt apology about the new Apple Maps app that came with iOS 6. Among the other iPhone 5 problems have been build problems, issues with Siri, WiFi and more but by far the aspect receiving the most condemnation was the Maps app that replaced Google Maps.
Previously an Apple spokeswoman had acknowledged criticism of Maps but it was good to see Apple accept from the very top that there are big problems with the app. Cook conceded, “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,” adding that Apple was “extremely sorry.” Such was the depth of the apology that Cook even recommended other makers map apps to use while the company strives to improve its own Maps. Cook concluded his statement with, “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 nonstop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard.”
You can see the letter in full here and to be honest we wish that more companies would simply hold their hands up when things go amiss and admit they got it wrong. Despite the widespread haranguing that Apple has received over the last week it doesn’t seem as though it will affect iPhone 5 sales too badly with Misek writing that he still believed the phone would be the “best-selling consumer electronics gadget in history.”
We’d like to hear from readers about this. Are you in a country seeing a second wave release and are you intending to purchase the iPhone 5? Maybe some of the problems noted with it have put you off? If you already have the iPhone 5 what do you feel about Apple’s apology over the Maps app? Are you ready to forgive and forget or maybe you think Apple should do better? Let us have your comments on this.
Comments
15 thoughts on “iPhone 5 availability spreads amid Apple Maps problem apology”
So appologising for having a creating a crappy app for your phone wins customers – supposedly…doubtful, more hype from Apple and bias reporters on their freebie Apple products
I would like to know what plan does Apple have in place to fix this problem especially for consumers that have already purchased the phone. Thank You!!
I was going to upgrade but with what I’ve heard and with me upgrading to iOS 6 I’m really let down as use the maps app quit a lot and now nothing is working as when open maps everything is in shades of grey no street view plus keep getting signed out on iPad on iMessage Siri not working both on iPad and iPhone 4S correctly
I haven’t had a problem with maps. Haven’t had a problem with anything really. The iphone 5 is so dang fast on the internet that I save enough time to use a paper map if I need to. I think people need to relax. Apps get updated all the time on iTunes. So what if it takes a few more weeks to iron out all the kinks… The phone is still really nice. I upgraded from a 4s, and now I use the 4s for a doorstop. The 5 is a much better product. I don’t have any apple stock, but I’m rethinking that each time I turn on my phone.
Haha you had me laughing to myself with your comment “..It’s so fast I save enough time to use a paper map…” LOL
techradar just did a battery test and i-p5 fell behind s2 ,s3,note 1,htc one x, motorola and soon the note 2. benchmark test it fell behind s3 to wich did 1783 on geekbench.
it really has fallen behind in many aspects and now the stability of ios6 is on question something apple used to be very proud of.
I’ve my upgrade my iPhone 4 to an iPhone 5 on the 21 September, I don’t have any problems wit my phone not even wit the map… It’s a lovely phone.. I think ppl have der opinion on things.. All of u ppl who don’t like the iPhone 5 shud go and get a different fone n stop cuss apple and there phones.. Because apple will always be apple so dnt be a hater….
Maps is well good now it is so better than googles one that just looks rubbish stop moaning my iphone is coming soon but my iPad now has Siri and it is funny by far the best voice recognition service so far iOS 6 has simply improved it even more it is much better than android rubbish, come one a professional phone company does not name a new update jelly bean sounds like a kids playground I have had a android phone all my life until my brother got the iPhone 4S and I will never go back the tablets look like my child’s little Dora the explora tablet they are thick they are heavy and all of them are plastic they have to step into the future and get sleek metal or glass they are so sexy the iPads and obviously the iPhone 5 just look at it and stop being haters . Apple may not have the largest screens or the crappy plastic designs anymore but come on I want a phone that will fit in my hand and I won’t have to stretch my thumb to go to one side of the screen that Samsung galaxy tab is rubbish dad had it it is too big it is like it is undecided what sex it is tablet or a phone and you have a hybrid bike or car not phone that is just gay so think plastic is old Samsung is trying everything look at their new tv I was thinking about getting one but you have to have a load of accessories and you need the phone I don’t want that it is a rip off a tv that looks like a Chinese man has made a graphic of and you need to buy a load of things for it including a £500 crappy phone apple are the future ATM and you cannot deny it but the iPhone 5 design is utterly sexy Samsung and android your phones are thick to big and plastic operating sounds like my baby girl made it up
Reading what you wrote made my head hurt and I love apple’s products.
Who writes these things? I read the same article but with respect to apple and its magnifiacent ability to produce a product that is unique to any product on the market.
By the way it took google 4 years to perfection , google maps.
The new apple maps is awful, it cannot find simple post codes, i want to go back to the old google maps
You can download it back onto your phone through the apps store.
I love these idiotic people who never use maps, and then complain about it. Then you have thoose that never bought an iphone in there life. The trolls always come out at launches and complain. Go use your crapoid droid whose plastic will fall apart then.
How can I install back the old maps that was on ios 5
This post is more about problems than availability…