MapsWithMe Pro, Offline Maps – great maps app without need of Internet connection
by Antonio Wells
Nov 28, 2012 11:00 AM –
Install
MapsWithMe Pro, Offline Maps allows you to locate where you are and search for nearby points of interest without an Internet connection. Recommended for outdoor enthusiasts!
Price: Free, $4.99
Tested on: Samsung Galaxy S3, Nexus 7
Content Rating: Low Maturity
Pros & Cons:
Pros
- Offline maps with offline search!
- Renders mapping details pretty swiftly!
- You can download the maps for the entire globe!
- Great for outdoor enthusiasts!
- Worked just fine on the Nexus 7 tablet!
Cons
- In a strange place of hedging the turn-by-turn GPS navigation space, pales in comparison of features to those apps, and not considered that type of product.
- Virtually no difference in the free & paid apps.
Features:
MapsWithMe Pro, Offline Maps is not a turn-by-turn GPS navigation app like default Google Maps app on Android devices, therefore it cannot route you to destinations, yet it’s marketed as an alternative as some of the features are in parallel with the de facto. I would argue that it is great for outdoor enthusiasts, useful in countries where Google Maps is not dominant and for those without or with limited mobile data plan.
Actually the first time you download the app you will need an Internet connection in order to download your mapping region. This can be stored to the phone or SD Card, in my region (my state of Illinois) it was an additional 100MB of storage needed. If you browse outside of the downloaded region you’ll see a prompt to download that region. You can download more states and countries, so be conscious of the space needed. After that you should not need an Internet connection to locate and search points of interest (you cannot search Google Places without Internet).
Speaking of search, the icon is the third along the bottom row of icons and tapping it loads very generic POIs in your vicinity. Tapping the predefined buttons like restaurants, ATMs, gas, transit and shopping filter your searches. These are neat features, however, the app lacks the component to navigate you to them- you’ll have to get there the old fashioned way.
If you have a Wi-Fi only tablet (like the one we’re giving away) and looking for an app to provide general mapping data when not connected, then MapsWithMe Pro, Offline Maps it a good choice. However, I must mention that Google Maps offers a feature to save maps offline to do the same thing, just probably not as direct.
http://youtu.be/jrhctWm8oZk
Watch on Mobile
-
-
MapsWithMe Pro Offline Maps Truly Works Without Internet- Notice it’s in Airplane Mode
-
-
MapsWithMe Pro Offline Maps My Location
-
-
MapsWithMe Pro Offline Maps Chicago
-
-
MapsWithMe Pro Offline Maps Rotate the Map
-
-
MapsWithMe Pro Offline Maps POI
-
-
MapsWithMe Pro Offline Maps My Location Zoomed In
-
-
MapsWithMe Pro Offline Maps Cairo a Small Town on Illinois Border
-
-
MapsWithMe Pro Offline Maps Globe View
-
-
MapsWithMe Pro Offline Maps Restaurant Search
-
-
MapsWithMe Pro Offline Maps Download Maps
-
-
MapsWithMe Pro Offline Maps Downloading Map Region
-
-
MapsWithMe Pro Offline Maps Storage Location
Usefulness:
I personally believe MapsWithMe Pro, Offline Maps will be more useful to a niche group and not for everyone, for example for outdoor activists like walkers/runners, cyclists, boaters, hikers, etc. And as mentioned to those with limited or no mobile data plans, those in mountainous terrains, those in need of mapping information for data-less tablets, countries where Google Maps is not prevalent. If you were one of those people who purchased stand-alone GPS devices of past, then this will feel the same, yet available to your smartphone.
Ease of Use:
Once you download your map it is pretty straightforward, as it can locate you and the only other thing you can do is search points of interest on a map. The maps render damn fast as you zoom in and out. Yet it lacks all the fancy bells and whistle of a fully featured GPS navigation app.
Frequently Used:
This is dependent on your need. I can’t see the use cases needed daily over other more convenient choices. I foresee this app used on occasions as described in the “Usefulness” column above.
Interface:
The user interface is clean and gets directly to the maps, plus a few tools to help navigate it like the plus/minus buttons (or you can pinch-to-zoom) or even rotate the maps and the compass with orient your sense of direction.
Tags:
Android App,
Android Apps,
AndroidTapp.com App Review,
Geocaching,
GPS,
GPS Navigation,
MapsWithMe Lite Offline Maps,
MapsWithMe Pro Offline Maps,
Off-Road GPS Navigator,
Offline Maps,
Running,
Walking Navigation
Categorised in: Travel
Submit apps for review,
promote apps, get more installs with better
app videos.