Apple Maps’ offering might surprise people who remember its disastrous launch in 2012, which the Guardian described as the company’s “first significant failure in years”. Users were more than furious – they were lost, sometimes dangerously so. In Australia, police had to rescue tourists from the huge Murray-Sunset national park, after Maps placed the city of Mildura in the wrong place by more than 40 miles. Some of the motorists located by police had been stranded for 24 hours without food or water. In Ireland, ministers had to complain directly to Apple after a cafe and gardens called “Airfield” was designated by the service as an actual airport.
But mostly the map was just glitchy and unhelpful, its directions always a little off kilter. Users revolted and Apple made a rare retreat, allowing Google Maps to be used as the default on many iPhone apps and apologizing for the product.
Starting maps like this is hard. I remember many years earlier when Google maps was new and disastrous, sending massive truck detours through small sleepy villages and encouraging inattentive driver to drive into duck ponds. Then when Apple released their maps Google already had 7 years of improving theirs, and they had made good use of that time.
It was a mistake not allocating more resources (/spending) to improving it sooner after the release turned out so badly. They always move slowly with their projects. Even now their new map updates are spectacular but the mapping vehicle fleet seems too small and is taking a long time.