Google has upgraded its Android Maps app
so it can provide directions when not connected to the internet.
The
software also lets devices find businesses' locations, opening hours and
telephone numbers while offline.
The
firm said tourists visiting places outside their mobile subscription plans and
people living in emerging markets, where data can be expensive, would be among
those who would benefit most.
But
one expert said budget-phone owners would now have to juggle data.
"Entry-level
Android smartphones sometimes only have four gigabytes of onboard storage,
making it a precious resource," commented Ben Wood from CCS Insight.
"Once
you've downloaded a few applications, some music and perhaps a video, that
memory quickly disappears.
"So
some users may find using map downloads limits what else they can do with their
device - but to be honest that's one small negative in a sea of positives about
this update."
Google
said downloading most of Greater London would take up 380 megabytes on a
device, while storing the San Francisco Bay area would require about 200MB.
It
added that it intended to release a similar update for iOS devices "very
soon", but could not confirm if that would be before the year's end. To
make use of the new feature, users will have to tell the app to download an
area they select.
Once
the information has been installed, the app is designed to switch
"seamlessly" between offline and online modes unless forced to stay
off the net.
That
means, for example, that if a driver starts their journey in an underground
garage without a data connection, the app will suggest a route and drive-time
estimate based on typical conditions, but will then amend the advice once it
gains access to live traffic and accident information.
The offline
map will automatically update once every 15 days to stay current so long as the
handset is plugged into a charger and connected to wi-fi, unless the user
overrides these restrictions.
"We've
been working on all of this stuff for two to three years," product manager
Amanda Bishop told the BBC. "Google
Maps happened to be really slow or completely unusable in many scenarios due to
limited mobile internet.
"Users
now don't have to do all that screenshot jujitsu before they leave [in case
they lose access], and there's much faster load times for search and driving
directions.
"Everybody
on our team who uses it can't stand it when they have to use the old app
because it's crazy how frequently you find yourself seeing that spinner waiting
for results. Once you get used to it returning them in a second every single
time, you quickly get used to how snappy the app feels."
Absent
functions
The
offline mode does have some limitations, however. Reviews
people have posted about restaurants and other businesses are not shown, nor
are user-generated photos.
Owners
cannot switch to a satellite view, and while the app provides driving
directions, it will not offer walking or public transport-based routes.
Even
so, it is an improvement on the app's previous offline mode, which let users
save maps of an area but not search or get directions within them.
"This
is not a first-of-its-kind function," noted Mr Wood.
"For
years, Nokia Maps - now Here Maps - offered the opportunity to download country
or region-wide maps and search within. "But
Google Maps is the undisputed market leader when it comes to online mapping and
it has now cemented its leadership in the area."
[bbc news]
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