Apple Maps up to five times more data efficient than Google Maps
1–10 of 41 posts
Re: Apple Maps up to five times more data efficient than Google Maps
#2Can anyone compare this to the Google Maps on Android? Downloading vector based map will obviously use less data than raster map image (different one at different zoom level nonetheless). I don't see how this is much of a news.
Re: Apple Maps up to five times more data efficient than Google Maps
#3Apple maps has caused me plenty of headaches so far, but hearing this definitely pleases me. I remember traveling lost in Beijing and just ripping through my AT&T international data plan using maps to get back to my hotel.
Sure, with Apple maps I won't even find my hotel, but at least I'll do it five times more efficiently!
Re: Apple Maps up to five times more data efficient than Google Maps
#4The 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.
Re: Apple Maps up to five times more data efficient than Google Maps
#5This would be an assessment over the application and the efficiency of using vectors - thought it is interesting to hear that the satellite maps show a win as well.
When I'm traveling internationally, and have roaming disabled, I use Google Maps in "Standard View" very cautiously - keenly aware of that $0.15/megabyte charge I'm racking up.
So, for those cities that do have decent road layouts, routing, and POI information - this actually is a nice little benefit.
Re: Apple Maps up to five times more data efficient than Google Maps
#6Apple maps has caused me plenty of headaches so far, but hearing this definitely pleases me. I remember traveling lost in Beijing and just ripping through my AT&T international data plan using maps to get back to my hotel. Sure, with Apple maps I won't even find my hotel, but at least I'll do it five times more efficiently!
The reports that I've seen suggest Apple has better map tile/POI detail in China than Google does. China is one of the places that Apple comes out ahead of Google in terms of Map Data Quality.
Re: Apple Maps up to five times more data efficient than Google Maps
#7Can anyone compare this to the Google Maps on Android? Downloading vector based map will obviously use less data than raster map image (different one at different zoom level nonetheless). I don't see how this is much of a news.
It's news to anyone with an iPhone that has to pay for their data when downloading maps @ $0.15/megabyte when traveling internationally. I've racked up $20-$30 just using the maps application on a single trip, so this is positive news for me.
Re: Apple Maps up to five times more data efficient than Google Maps
#8Of course you use less data when you don't need to download anything important...like oh say, roads, important subway stations, or cities!
Re: Apple Maps up to five times more data efficient than Google Maps
#9That's great, but I'm sure most people would rather spend more data in exchange for more accurate and complete maps.
Another thing to remember: with LTE larger maps wouldn't even take much longer to download.
Re: Apple Maps up to five times more data efficient than Google Maps
#10For the umpteenth time:
There was never a Google Maps app on the iPhone, there was an Apple app powered by Google's data.
The correct way of stating this is that Apple's iOS6 maps app is more data efficient than previous versions. As for the main reason the current app is more efficient is that it relies on vector graphics instead of image tiles, a technique Google have been using on Android for nearly 2 years: http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2010/12/under-hood-of-googl...
Another Android maps feature lets users select areas to cache offline, which I imagine saves even more data (it auto-caches frequented areas): http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2012/06/go-offline-with-g...
That feature is also worth mentioning for when Apple duplicates it and some people try to convince themselves that it was Apple's idea.