Today via their maps dev blog, Google announced details of the new Google Maps Android API v2 – some noteworthy customers using the API include Trulia, Expedia, and FlightTrack. A number of new features and functionality are included: Maps API now uses vector tiles, Caching is improved, and Maps are now 3D. About the maps API… With the Google Maps Android API, you can add maps based on Google Maps data to your application. The API automatically handles access to Google Maps servers, data downloading, map display, and response to map gestures .
From Google GeoDev blog… With the new version of the Google Maps Android API, developers can utilize Google Maps to its fullest. We’ve incorporated many of the highly-requested features developers want, such as:
- More dynamic and flexible UI designs for large screen Android devices, such as tablets, using Android Fragments
- Adding more Google Maps layers in their apps including satellite, hybrid, terrain, traffic and now indoor maps for many major airports and shopping centers
- The ability to create markers and info windows with less code
- 3D Tilt
- Traffic data and more…