With consternation over the failure of Apple's new Maps app virtually drowning out everything good about the new iPhone 5 since its release Sept. 21, the traditionally tight-lipped company has finally decided to answer its critics. Apple CEO Tim Cook took drastic measures today to save face for the iPhone 5 and iOS 6, saying he is "extremely sorry" for the frustration Maps has caused customers, and vowing to resolve its issues soon.

"With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment," Cook said in a statement, which was first reported by TechCrunch.

This is an unusually bold and humble move on Apple's part.  Getting the company to just confirm, deny, or even comment on something is difficult enough, let alone an outright apology.

Apologies from Apple are a rare thing, but the company has said sorry from time to time in the past, perhaps most recently during the "Antennagate" fiasco in 2010 when the iPhone 4 was released. And just like that situation, public criticism over the issue reached such a high pitch that Apple really didn't have much choice other than answering its consumers head-on to show it could and would confront the problem.

The maps flap has allowed competitors such as Motorola Mobility, and Google to take swipes at the smartphone giant, and left it more vulnerable to criticism.

"In my opinion it would have been better to retain our maps," Google CEO Eric Schmidt said, according to the Wall Street Journal. "It's their decision; I'll let them describe it."

Even Google Maps designer Fred Gilbert who worked with Apple on the original Google Maps app for the first iPhone voiced his incredible disappointment with Apple Maps over Google+, saying "as one of the original designers of Google Mobile Maps I remember how difficult it was working with Apple. But this just blows my mind," according to seroundtable.com.

In making the statement, Apple CEO Cook also made the confounding move of presenting alternatives to Apple's Maps app while the company fixes its issues. Cook suggests Waze maps apps, using Google's or Nokia's map Web sites, and even Bing, and MapQuest. MapQuest ... Really? Should we use Netscape to get there?

While Cook's suggestion that users should just turn to other Maps apps in the interim might seem counterintuitive, it's actually a brilliant tactic from a public relations standpoint. It may leave Apple looking more vulnerable than the company would like, but it should buy back some of the good will Apple lost with the public over Apple Maps complete and utter failure.

Apple's statement:

To our customers,

At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.

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.

There are already more than 100 million iOS devices using the new Apple Maps, with more and more joining us every day. In just over a week, iOS users with the new Maps have already searched for nearly half a billion locations. The more our customers use our Maps the better it will get and we greatly appreciate all of the feedback we have received from you.

While we're improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app.

Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world. We know that you expect that from us, and we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard.

Tim Cook

Apple's CEO

The issue began when Apple opted to boot Google Maps from iOS 6, essentially forcing customers to use its own native app, which many complain lacks details, is filled with distorted images, and provides erroneous directions.

A new report alleges that disagreements over Google's voice guided navigation pushed Apple away from Google Maps, and compelled it to implement its own mapping application in the iOS 6, according to Allthingsd.

Apple failed to convince and sign a deal with Google to bring the voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation to the iOS 6, according to multiple sources knowledgeable about the issue. Apple felt that it had been left behind without the voice-guided navigation because it is a free and special feature of the Google maps, which has been integrated to all smartphones powered by the Android operating system.

"Requiring iPhone users to look directly at handsets for directions and manually move through each step - while Android users enjoyed native voice-guided instructions - put Apple at a clear disadvantage in the mobile space," said Allthingsd in a report. "And having chosen Google as its original mapping partner, the iPhone maker was now in a position where an archrival was calling the shots on functionality important to the iOS maps feature set."

Reportedly, it was difficult for Google to just simply handover the special features of Google Maps to its competitor because the company invested heavily in developing the data and views of the app. Sources said Apple wanted the voice-guided turn-by-turn-directions of the Google maps integrated in the iOS 6, but wasn't willing to give in to the demands of the search engine giant.

Google wanted in-app branding, and to add its Google latitude service in the iOS mapping service, but Apple refused to accept either of the demand, according to sources. Clearly relations between the companies have become increasingly heated over the years, with both often competing for the same market share.

Apple's acquisition of several mapping companies including Poly9, C3 technologies, and Placebase gave it the confidence to develop the company's own mapping app with 3-D mode, and Apple decided to abandon Google maps a year early of the expiration of its agreement with Google.

While Apple works to fix the problems with Maps, Google Maps is reportedly building a Maps app for the iPhone and iPad that will be out by the end of 2012, according to The New York Times. Apple and Google have yet to comment.