Headline fix: Google kills the one good thing it has going for it with AI
Search sucks for some time now. I’d say the best thing google offers today is Gmail - but there are plenty of arguments against that too.
Google Maps, their traffic data has no rivals, unlike gmail which has plenty of good competition. It’s the one thing I couldn’t easily replace yet.
I prefer OSM since I can use the maps offline. Google maps is useless out in the middle of nowhere without any cell service.
Far from any desire to give kudos to Google: Maps does allow offline maps.I had greater London available on my iphone recently, and that worked.
But what if you’re not in london
This is a great question.
The obvious answer is to then go to London.
But if you are unable to do so AND chave no mobile network, you can download the maps via avian carrier.
IP over Avian Carriers - Wikipedia

Sorry, only London available

If you want to experience offline maps, you gotta go to London

I do the same when I go on vacation. Take an old phone, no cell plan, just use the wireless at the hotel and take the phone as a map and camera. No cell plan means work can’t call me, map still works bc of GPS and bc the data is manually downloaded (under profile menu.)