Just when Apple thought news about its Maps app couldn’t get any worse, think again. Australian police are telling fellow Aussies who own iPhones not to use the tech giant’s mapping system. This came about when police in Victoria, Australia, issued a warning today discouraging iPhone users from relying on Apple’s map app after rescuing several people who became stranded in recent weeks in the wilderness. Some folks were even stranded 24 hours without adequate food or water — it’s that bad.
These several motorists who had to be rescued were reportedly some 43 miles from their desired destination. In statement, the police had this to say about the recent incident:
“Tests on the mapping system by police confirm the mapping systems lists Mildura in the middle of the Murray Sunset National Park, approximately 70km away from the actual location of Mildura.” They added “Police are extremely concerned as there is no water supply within the Park and temperatures can reach as high as 46 degrees [Celsius, roughly 115 degrees Fahrenheit], making this a potentially life threatening issue.”
The statement concluded, saying “Anyone travelling to Mildura or other locations within Victoria should rely on other forms of mapping until this matter is rectified.”
There you have it. The Cupertino based company needs to put as much resources into improving its maps if it wants users to ever take them seriously. You would think this wouldn’t be such an issue for a company that has over 100 billion dollars in the bank.
Update: According to The Guardian, Apple’s map data has been updated to give the correct location of Mildura.
[vic police news; via cnet]