What has google done with android maps?

[jzmtl]

Does anyone else hate the new version 7 of maps? It looks a bit slicker, but the functionality is horrible. First they broke the offline map system, there's no longer a way to manage and the download size is restricted to much smaller area. That I can deal with more or less, but it's now also a battery killer. my phone used to be 95% deep sleep while idle, now the nlpcollectorwakelock process is active 25% of the time and even my extended battery can barely make it through the day.

Needless to say I downgraded back to 6, good thing I'm not alone on this so lots of people provided APK for the older maps, and all problems are gone.

[detron]

I will have to research this myself.  I had noticed my battery dying twice as fast.

what phone do you have?

[jzmtl]

Old galaxy s2 (i9100), it's rooted so I have access to all the system information, but you should be able to see some sign of it in battery history with lots of short period "awake" when screen is off.

[detron]

I will have to check that out.  I have rooted my phones before, I just got the galaxy S4, so I will root it eventually, just not yet

[Whoey]

I'm not much of a fan of the new version, my Nexus4 is running maps v7.2 on Android 4.3, and I don't seem to have battery issues that I'm aware of.

I don't particularly like the current trend of "modernizing" software by simplifying interfaces and either hiding or disabling completely features I actually want to use. Microsoft is also guilty of this in Windows.

[Boyen]

The new navigation is really, really terrible. It was much better before, thought it looked worse.

[Whoey]

I actually use Copilot Live on my phone. On my old phone contract I had limited high speed data and didn't want google maps eating my monthly quota with one use.

[Steinar]

I think using and contributing to http://www.openstreetmap.org/ is the way to go. Then you can download the maps and use the GPS without needing data traffic.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I miss Latitude. It was handy for a lot of things, like figuring out where my wife was when I was supposed to pick her up and so on.  Also, my father enjoyed looking at my location because I work all over the place.

I found what appears to be a good replacement with a program called Hemisphere but it doesn't work on my wife's Droid.

Def

Sent from a digital multitool

[powernoodle]

Does anyone else hate the new version 7 of maps?

Me.

The functionality is decreased, the zoom in/out toggle is gone, and it now drains my battery even when charging.  Its a fail in just about every way.  I would go back to the old version if I could figure out how.

[jzmtl]

Download and install this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=43492351&postcount=2

You can still use gesture to zoom in/out, tap and hold, then slide up or down.

[Cupboard]

I had my phone set to auto update things when it was connected to WiFi, it updated maps during on of our few "hotel" stops on the way to Mongolia and removed the scale bar. That was incredibly unhelpful! How far are we away from the next place? About three and a half fingers!

[Syph007]

Ya mine updated too, but I didnt notice the battery drain.  I'd be up for a downgrade too if its a battery killer.

Cool thanks for the link above, I downgraded fine.

How can I make it not upgrade now?

Edit, I found it.  THere is a per app setting to auto update if you browse installed apps from the google play store.

[jzmtl]

I always disable the auto update option (I think there's an umbrella option on any future installed app in google play option), not the first time new version of an app is worse than before so I read the reviews and change log before deciding. Didn't do it this time and it bit me in the behind, luckily it was reversible.

[nuphoria]

I've got far too much auto update stuff going on... had the S4 a few weeks now and boy does the battery drain

Got to check out if the maps are an issue too

[Whoey]

I use https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sebouh00.smartwifitoggler&hl=en on my nexus 4 to toggle my wifi automatically...

Also keep meaning to get https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kebab.Llama&hl=en and setup some rules such as switch off data (and sound) at night

[nuphoria]

Thanks I'll check those out

I've had this running for a while https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.advancedprocessmanager&hl=en

Useful little app, especially for startup controls etc.

Also, this for totally customisable volume profiles, although not a location thing, works a treat for me