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The title is a little misleading. It may be more efficient compared to the 5 years old Google Maps app on iOS, but Google Maps for Android has been vector based since December 16th, 2010, when they launched Google Maps 5.0.

http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2010/12/under-hood-of-googl...

Also don't forget Apple's Maps retrieve a lot less data than Google Maps, since they don't actually have that data. Google Maps offers a lot more information.



Also, compared to Android's app, it's also important to emphasize the ability to download map areas [1]. That way, you can download to your phone's cache the areas you will visit later, using a WiFi connection, so you can use the app without using your data plan or in areas without signal.

iOS's version of Maps was very incomplete compared to Android's version. Most probably, Apple was not very happy with Google about that.

[1] http://googleblog.blogspot.com.ar/2011/07/download-map-area-...


The title isn't misleading because the test has nothing to do with Android. They're comparing the two iOS map offerings, not cross-platform.


How would you infer that from the title? Bandwidth used by apps can and is frequently constant across platforms.

Won't adding a "on iOS" at the end help clarify things?


It's assumed. If you can't grasp that, I'm sorry.


In the title two competing products are mentioned. Google Maps and Apple Maps.

The article is comparing iOS Google Maps to iOS Apple Maps. iOS Google Maps is not the same as the product Google Maps.

If you can't grasp the difference of those two, I'm sorry.


Not to mention the old iOS mapping app was actually written by Apple, it was only using Google's tiles


>Also don't forget Apple's Maps retrieve a lot less data than Google Maps, since they don't actually have that data. Google Maps offers a lot more information.

Well this is just stupidity at its finest.

A few extra POIs/streets would pale in comparison to the difference between vector and raster images.


Clearly said in jest.




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