Apple released thefirst beta of iOS 6.1to developers yesterday. It’s still early, obviously, but we’ve already discovered a handful of changes in the new firmware, including revampedLock screen music controls.
And, as a reader has pointed out to us, iOS 6.1 also adds a new “Report a Problem” button to the stock Maps app. It replaces a smaller bug reporter link, and signifies Apple’s commitment to making Maps better…
Apple Maps has easily been one of the company’s biggest debacles in recent memory. Initially, people were excited whenScott Forstall announcedthis summer that Apple would be replacing the dated Google Maps app in iOS 6 with its own creation, complete with 3D buildings and spoken turn-by-turn directions.
But that excitement quickly faded as Apple seeded beta after beta of iOS 6 with a subpar Maps application that had missing location data and inaccurate directions. And it turned to anger when the company released the new software to the public without fixing any of these serious bugs, causing quite the media fallout.
Apple’s mapping missteps havedrawn criticismfrom customers andcompetitors, to the point where CEO Tim Cook felt like he had to writea letter of apologyto the public. It’s even said to have beena major factorin therecently-announced departureof the aforementioned Scott Forstall, Apple’s SVP of iOS Software.
But things do seem to be getting better. We’ve already noticedseveral improvementsto the Maps app since iOS 6 was released in September, and it appears Apple is looking to build on that with iOS 6.1.
If you’re looking to help speed up the improvement process,we have a guidethat shows you how to report a problem in the Maps app. And with this new larger link to the bug filing portal, it just got a whole lot easier.
