Google Maps 5 Demo'd on a Phone

We saw the upcoming Google Maps 5 demonstrated on an unannounced tablet-device running Android Gingerbread earlier this week. We also heard that this version of Maps will run on phones as well as tablets, and that it will be available "in a few days". Today we got a pretty good demo of Google Maps 5 running on an Android-powered phone, over a cellular network (not Wi-Fi). 

Likely the most important breakthrough in this iteration of the Maps app is the use of vector data, rather than the bitmap tiles that current and previous versions have used. This requires faster processors, but vectors are significantly smaller than bitmaps, resulting in a significant reduction in required bandwidth. How much smaller? The number being thrown around is version 5 using 1/100th the data as previous versions.

Vectors allow for faster on-screen manipulation with zooming, scrolling, and rotating being much more responsive since the data is already on the device, rather than needing to be downloaded in the form of new tiles. 

3D buildings, where available, will be visible when you zoom in close enough, with shadows falling where they should, further illustrating the fact that this is actual 3D data, not flat tiles with shadows painted on. 

Since the data is smaller, offline storage is now a viable option, with data for an entire state being realistic.

As of this writing, Google Maps 5 isn't yet available, but if you'd like to install its predecessor (it you haven't already) and set it to automatically update, you should at least be notified of the update as soon as it's made available.

via PocketNow