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iApologize: 6 times Apple said sorry to the public

Apple Logo image
Image by Matcuz via Pixabay

In almost five decades since Apple came into existence, the Cupertino-based technology giant has released countless products and services. Celebrated Apple products have popularized "kidney jokes" and motivated people to line up outside Apple Stores to be the first buyers.

On the other hand, there have been numerous occasions where the company knocked on the wrong door looking for success or ran into problems ranging from design flaws and software bugs to communication failures.

Apple isn't the company you'll find apologizing too much or changing things quickly. For example, it took over a decade for Apple to bring an app drawer to the iOS operating system or add wireless charging support to the iPhone. But there are days when it addresses criticism and openly apologizes to the public.

So, let's talk about some of the instances where Apple acknowledged its mistakes.

Steve Jobs apologized for lowering the original iPhone's price

Year: 2007

The original iPhone went on sale for the first time in the US in June 2007, with its 8GB model priced at $599 and 4GB at $499. Two months later, Apple slashed the 8GB model's price by $200 (bringing it to $399) and announced that the 4GB model would be sold until supplies last.

Apple iPhone 1

While Apple celebrated the iPhone's success at the time as it sold the millionth device, the move was big enough to upset early buyers. Apple's co-founder and then-CEO, Steve Jobs, had to step in and take responsibility for the company's actions.

In his letter titled "To all iPhone customers," Jobs claimed that he read each of the hundreds of emails from upset iPhone customers about the price drop and apologized to the disappointed people affected by Apple's decision. A $100 store credit was offered to iPhone buyers at the time who had purchased their device from either Apple or AT&T and didn't get a rebate or any other consideration.

However, Jobs defended the price drop and said it "benefits both Apple and every iPhone user to get as many new customers as possible in the iPhone 'tent.'" He added that the "technology road is bumpy," but we need to do "a better job taking care of our early iPhone customers as we aggressively go after new ones with a lower price."

Steve Jobs responded to iPhone 4 network reception issues

Year: 2010

iPhone 4's arrival was plagued by signal loss issues when the device was held in a certain way, mainly when the user's hand covered the "lower left corner in a way that covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band."

Apple iPhone 4

Apple initially tried to downplay the issue, popularized as "Antennagate," by saying that the problem wasn't related to the software or how the phone was manufactured, adding that it could happen to any phone when grabbed in specific ways.

A software update pushed by the company displayed the signal bars more accurately, but that wasn't enough to fix the problem. Back then, top Microsoft officials called the iPhone 4 Apple's Vista.

Dealing with lawsuits from the affected users, the Apple co-founder finally hosted a press conference to address the issue. He said he was deeply sorry about the problems people faced with iPhone 4 reception but echoed Apple's previous stance that it could happen to the smartphone next door.

Apple gave free bumper cases to the affected users, which avoided direct contact with the antenna. It was estimated that the free cases cost the company $175 million. On a side note, the Antennagate controversy took a funny turn when an affected iPhone 4 user directly emailed Jobs and got an odd response.

Tim Cook apologizes for Apple Maps

Year: 2012

Apple Maps may have come a long way, but its success has buried the not-so-happy past of the navigation app. The iOS 6 software update launched in 2012 also tagged along Apple's home-baked Maps app, ditching Google Maps as the iPhone's default mapping app.

However, it wasn't long before users started criticizing Apple Maps for various reasons, including misnamed or absent locations, distorted 3D maps, and poor mapping data. That's when Apple's new CEO, Tim Cook, had to step forward and issue an official apology to the users as the company "fell short" of its commitment.

"We launched Maps initially with the first version of iOS. As time progressed, we wanted to provide our customers with even better Maps including features such as turn-by-turn directions, voice integration, Flyover and vector-based maps. In order to do this, we had to create a new version of Maps from the ground up," Cook said in his letter.

Apple Maps redesign 2020
Apple Maps redesign in 2020

The CEO suggested alternatives such as Google Maps, Bing, MapQuest, and Waze. After its disastrous launch, Apple worked behind the scenes for years to improve the app. It was reported in 2016 that Apple Maps got over 2.5 million corrections. The company even deployed its own vehicles equipped with sensors to collect street data and eventually rolled out a revamped version of Maps.

Apple Maps story has an interesting angle for those looking for trivia. American software engineer Scott Forstall oversaw the original software development for the iPhone and Apple Maps project as Senior VP of iOS.

In 2012, Apple announced a major shakeup in its leadership with the sudden announcement of Forstall's departure. It was reported that he refused to sign an apology letter related to the Apple Maps failure, adding that the former Senior VP already had differences with other Apple executives for some time.

The Butterfly Keyboard controversy

Year: 2015/2016

Apple's Butterfly keyboard mechanism debuted in early 2015 with the 12-inch MacBook. Later, the second generation of the keyboard tech made its way to the 2016 MacBook Pro, but it ended up creating problems for users.

Apple Butterfly keyboard

It was reported that the 2016 MacBook Pro keyboard met with high failure rates. Users reported issues such as keys sticking, repeating, or not registering, mostly due to debris caught under the keys. Bombarded with lawsuits, Apple launched a free keyboard service program for the affected devices.

However, the company refused to put the updated Butterfly keyboard in older models, saying it was "exclusive" for the new MacBook Pros. Apple finally said goodbye to the dreaded keyboard design by bringing the scissor mechanism to the 16-inch MacBook Pro in 2019.

The company did apologize through a statement provided to The Wall Street Journal in March 2019 but failed to acknowledge the extent to which users were affected. Apple was still dealing with legal battles related to the Butterfly controversy, and the first payouts of the $50 million class action settlement reached eligible owners last year.

Batterygate controversy

Year: 2017

Another infamous case tied to Apple is the Batterygate controversy. In 2017, the company was accused of slowing down older iPhones, resulting in a drop in performance. Apple later clarified that the move was to prevent iPhones with degraded batteries from unexpected shutdowns and improve longevity.

An iOS update made it possible to dynamically manage "the maximum performance of some system components when needed to prevent a shutdown," according to the company. As a result, users may experience longer launch times and other drops in performance.

"We apologize," the company said in its statement amid the influx of lawsuits and offered discounted $29 battery replacements for iPhone 6 or later. It also released the iOS 11.3 software update to display battery health stats on iOS devices.

However, the lack of transparency from Apple initially made people doubt the throttling was a deliberate attempt to force users into buying new devices. Users affected by Batterygate were finally compensated in 2024.

iPad Pro "Crush" commercial

Year: 2024

Apple landed in another controversy after it released last year's "Crush" commercial for the M4 iPad Pro. The minute-long video showed an industrial-sized hydraulic press crushing a variety of creative tools like pianos, cameras, paints, guitars, drums, and more.

The hydraulic press lifted to reveal the iPad Pro promising to do it all. However, Apple was caught off guard when its marketing move faced extensive backlash from the creative community. The company shared an apology, stating that the commercial "missed the mark."

Apple also released a new commercial for the iPad Pro as part of the damage control. Meanwhile, Samsung tried to take advantage of the situation and mock Apple by releasing a Galaxy Tab commercial titled "Uncrush."

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