We’ve all had a lot of fun since the release of iOS 6 having a big of a giggle at Apple’s new, in-house Maps app and its shortcomings. However, it’s not all bad news on the Maps front for Apple, as according to AppleInsider, the offline facility for the Maps app is apparently very impressive indeed, with the vector maps being so efficient that you can download much larger maps to your iPhone or iPad than with the previous version. Use of vectors means that around 80% less data is used in the app than in the previous app, with much bigger maps being downloaded faster, and thus saving you data and battery life. So sophisticated is Apple’s new Maps technology, that the efficient map outlines will work offline over much greater distances. For example, AppleInsider says that once it has downloaded the vector maps at a San Francisco location, high-level maps of the entire continent were available to view offline, north from Anchorage, Alaska to Lima, Peru and from Honolulu, Hawaii to Montreal, Canada.
Thanks to Super Moderator KevinJS for the heads-up on this story and the additional information. Check out his posts all about his experiences trucking around Western Canada here: http://www.ipadforums.net/off-topic/89387-road-off-too.html
Source: Apple's new iOS 6 Maps support automatic offline use for a wide area
