Google Maps for Android provides an unrivaled way to find your way around using your mobile phone.
With Google Maps installed on your device, you can view street and satellite maps of the whole World. Not only this, but it can be used to plot routes, find local places of interest, socialize with people around you and 'walk' along roads with Google's Street View.
Google Maps is incredibly easy to use on your Android device. The application automatically detects your current location and displays it on screen. You can move around by holding your finger and dragging the screen and zoom in and out by pinching with your fingers.
What you can see
The great thing about Google Maps is the incredible amount of detail you can view on the maps. By applying Layers to maps, you can add information about traffic, plot the terrain, see transit lines, and access Google GPS-based social networking services, Buzz and Latitude.
Click on More Layers in Google Maps and you'll be able to overlay information from Wikipedia, access your customized maps, and check out Favorite Places, a layer that shows you the places that certain famous people like to hang out in, in a range of cities.
Plotting routes and getting directions in Google Maps is very easy. You can get directions from A to B by searching for the start and end points, or clicking on them on the map. Towns and streets can be looked up by keyword or voice searching.
Finding your way around
Tap on the Navigation icon in Google Maps and you'll be able to see 3D maps and live traffic information. Moving around in Street View is a wonderful experience. It's linked to the Android compass, meaning that as you move and tilt the phone, the view changes with it.
Google Maps also displays information about businesses and points of interest. For instance, when the name of a restaurant appears on a map, you can click it to access more information, read user reviews, and get contact details. The new Places feature in Google Maps for Android offers a quick link to information about special places.
It's hard to pick faults in Google Maps, but we would point out that it has a tendency to hog system resources, especially if you have many layers running at once. Be sure to kill the process when you're not using Google Maps or your battery meter will soon start shrinking
Google Maps is currently the easiest and most effective way to find your way around using your Android phone.
