Apple Maps is said to be up to five times more efficient than Google Maps

There is a lot to be said about Apple's new mapping application, most of it negative. Is there any redeeming quality to the application? According to the crew at Onavo, testing shows that Apple Maps uses much less data than Google Maps does. Using a Standard View, on average, Google Maps used 1.3MB to load up a requested map while that same location on Apple Maps used just 271KB. That works out to about 80% less data used by Apple's beleaguered mapping application. And when it comes to other actions, such as zooming in to see an intersection, Google uses 7 times the amount of data that Apple uses.

The reason for such a large difference is because Apple Maps uses vector graphics which means that the map you're viewing doesn't have to be re-drawn every time you adjust it. The use of such technology means that Apple's maps are re-sized dynamically resulting in smoother movements that use much less data than Google Maps. The latter has to re-load and re-draw the map each time you make a change to it. These days, that might make a huge difference when it comes time to pay your monthly bill.

(Just to make it clear what the comparison is all about, Onavo tested Apple Maps with the Google Maps application that had been a staple of iOS until the latest release. Google Maps for Android has had vector graphics for two years)

In Satellite View, the difference is a lot smaller, but it still is there. Using the view from above will run you 428KB on average for Apple Maps vs. 930KB using Google Maps. Here, using Apple Maps eats up about half the data that Google's application does.

According to Onavo, 70% of Apple iPhone owners use the Maps app and it makes up 5% of the data used by the phone on data networks. Using less data is not only important for those paying the bill, but is also important to the carriers as well. And yes, this might all be good news to Apple iPhone users, but it doesn't explore the issues that iOS 6 users have had with Apple Maps. If there is no trust in the map that you have on your screen, what good is saving data? For Apple Maps to become the complete package that Cupertino was aiming for, it must be made bullet-proof and re-launched so that Apple could distance itself from the problems users have had. Once Apple Maps users feel that they can rely 100% on the service, then and only then will all of the data saving techniques used by Apple become an important selling tool.

source: Onavo via ElectricPig