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Comment by suprgeek | Hacker News Reader

HERE Maps - Has all of the Offline capabilities and is available Multi-Platform. In addition it has Speed limits and warnings, all for free on Android.

The one reason to use the Google Maps app is the updated Traffic info and slightly nicer turn-by-turn (mentions specific lanes, etc) and slightly more updated maps.

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WAZE also had it from day one but it's a very specific navigation platform, HERE doesn't find the correct address for businesses (and if we are talking about actual businesses e.g. not coffee shops, stores, restaurants etc. then 100% of the time it will fail you) most of the time, fuzzy search isn't going to work, public transport is almost out of the question, Google Maps just beats pretty much everything when it comes to coverage, information, and commute options.

HERE is very good as an actual map I would call it a Garmin GPS replacement more than anything else, but it's navigation and city living/POI location features are kinda lacking.*

Based on my experience YMMV

I was in Europe without a data plan for two weeks, and offline HERE (which has transit directions, unlike this release) was a lifesaver. Anecdotally, the directions were more accurate too.

Indeed, HERE has been doing this for such long time, it seems quite comical that Google is now coming out with this "new" feature – especially since offline maps were already in GMaps Android before they did the latest design overhaul. They don't seem to be giving much weight to users downloading maps for offline, so bets are off that they are gonna again dump this feature next time they do a new "design language" or such.

Let me know when it covers Japan.

*disclaimer: I used to work for HERE. I don't anymore. These opinions are my own.

They covered much more of the world than google maps. I always didn't understand why Japan didn't make the cut, I didn't have any insight into that.

fyi, HERE also has better indoor map coverage last time I checked, if you care for that sort of thing.

I do agree that the maps in HERE are great. The indoor maps are nifty too though unfortunately it doesn't seem to be able to cut across buildings while navigating, which is a pity...

Usually I use HERE maps when traveling. I usually use CityMaps2Go as a backup. It was my primary offline map when in Japan earlier this year.

It was certainly odd that it was missing.

The HERE needs definitely backup. I have country maps downloaded there for travel, and phone is always offline, but often I see white map for the downloaded area. Initially it is always white. Sometimes it helps if you get online for a moment, but even then later on I have still got white map. Similar issues with both Android and iOS versions. Unreliable stuff

The Chicago office or the Berlin office?

Does Google cover Japan? I just tried to download an offline map in Hokkaido and it said it wasn't available to download...

In HERE Maps the entire Japan is blank, even when the device is online.

Google used to have a list of countries that support offline maps, and Japan was excluded. Linkrot has set in though, and I can't find it anymore.

Just installed HERE and searched for the hotel I'm about to stay at while in Casablanca. It dropped a pin that was wrong by about 30 miles. Neat idea, but clearly not reliable.

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