Google today announced it is bringing offline maps support to Android smartphones at its “Next dimension of Google Maps” event. The feature will let users download maps of specific areas and use them even when the phone is not connected to the Internet.
Users will be able to mark out the area for which they require offline maps, post which Google Maps will inform how much data will be consumed to download the selected area. Once satisfied with the area selection users will be able to download the map and use them in offline mode. This would come in pretty handy for anyone traveling abroad or to minimize data download charges by downloading maps over Wi-Fi and using them later.
For the record, Nokia provides a better solution by enabling users to download complete country maps on to their devices that can be used in offline mode.
Google also showcased its new metropolitan 3D maps for cities that will be coming to both Android and iOS devices in the future. Google has captured layouts of complete cities in 3D (they flew planes equipped with special cameras to get the data!), which will enable users to not just see important landmarks in 3D but each and every structure. The 3D maps will cover 300 million people by end of the year, though Google is yet to reveal which cities will be getting these 3D maps.
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