Apple Inc. (AAPL) Fires Maps Manager [REPORT]

Apple Seeks To Regain IPhone Users’ Trust Over Mapping Problems

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) continues to be under fire from users for its disappointing maps software, and now the tech giant has just fired the manager responsible for the software. The move comes as Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) seeks to win back the many users who blasted the mapping software in their reviews.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Senior Vice President Eddy Cue reportedly fired mapping manager Richard Williamson. Bloomberg cites an anonymous source who did not want to be named because the firing is not yet officially public. Recently, Cue asked for advice from several mapping technology experts outside the company. A team is said to be working on fixing the biggest problems with Apple’s mapping software. Apple is also asking for help from TomTom NV, a digital maps provider that shares navigation and landmark information with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). The company wants TomTom NV to fix the data it provides.

Apple Vs. Google

Many critics have complained about the new mapping software that was released with the iPhone 5, saying that it is not reliable for landmark searches and that it provides incorrect routes that result in users getting lost. The software also lacks directions that utilize public transportation.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has been battling Google’s mapping software, which had been built into the iPhone since the handset was released in 2007. However, Apple severed ties with Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) and released its iOS 6 Maps app as a replacement for Google Maps. Google’s mapping software included features that Apple’s software does not, like turn-by-turn navigation. Now Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) is getting ready to release rival mapping apps for the iPhone, which users could download from the App Store.