Google announces offline mode for Google Maps for Android

Google today held an event to introduce “the next dimension of Google Maps” where it revealed that the Android version of its mapping application will soon support an offline mode. Despite the lack of connectivity, Google Maps will still function and support GPS and compass features (assuming these are enabled). The mode will work down to the street level.

It remains to be seen how saving these offline maps will work and how many maps users will be able to download.

The announcement comes as Apple is expected to announce at WWDC that it is replacing Google Maps with its own mapping service in iOS 6. Google Maps has been part of iOS since the iPhone launched in 2007.

The update to Google Maps for Android will be pushed out in some 100 countries over the next few weeks.