Scott Forstall Emerges

Stefanie Cohen of the WSJ landed the first post-Apple interview with Scott Forstall, in promotion of the Broadway musical he’s producing:

The Wall Street Journal reported that Mr. Forstall, who had a close relationship with Steve Jobs, was asked to leave Apple after the 2012 rollout of a new version of iPhone’s iOS contained a buggy new maps application — and after he refused to sign a public apology letter about its shortcomings.

Asked about the split, Mr. Forstall said he was “so proud of the thousands of people I worked with [at Apple] and with whom I remain friends. I am delighted that they continue to turn out great and beloved products.”

Gracious answer. Sounds like he’s having fun with the play.

(Worth repeating: My understanding of Forstall’s ouster is that it was about personality conflicts with other Apple executives, not Maps. The Maps launch certainly didn’t help, but if you want a short summary of why Tim Cook fired him, “because of Maps” or “because he wouldn’t sign the apology for Maps” isn’t it.)

★ Monday, 11 May 2015