Google Maps for Android supports offline use.

Sina Technology News, early morning of December 17 Beijing Time - Google has upgraded its Google Maps application for Android to support offline maps.

Through the new version of Google Maps 5, Android users can view maps without an internet connection. Google stated that the new Android version of Google Maps can cache frequently used map data for offline use, and even if the user loses signal on the road, the navigation controls can still re-plan the route for the user.

These improvements are very important. If the user is using a new phone, then Google Maps 5 will also support multi-touch and 3D features, such as rotating the map with two fingers on the touch screen. If the user zooms in on a large city, the map will display building outlines, creating effects similar to the game "SimCity." However, the information about these 3D buildings may be outdated. User tests have found that this function of Google Maps failed to display a building constructed in 2007.

iPhone users might be dissatisfied with Google's approach. Previously, the pre-installed Google Maps application on the iPhone was already somewhat outdated, lacking turn-by-turn navigation and bicycle navigation functions available on the Android version. Compared to the relatively newer Google Maps 5, the disadvantages of the iPhone version of Google Maps are more pronounced.

Google has not invested much effort in developing applications for the iPhone. On Monday, Google just launched the Google Latitude application on the iPhone, while the Google Voice application only entered Apple's App Store in November of this year. (Zhang Nan)