Updated Google Maps for Android begins rolling out, sports new look and features

By Trevor Mogg July 10, 2013

The revamped Maps UI for Android 4.0.3+ users unveiled at Google’s I/O developers conference a couple of months back appeared in the Google Play store on Tuesday, with the company promising a gradual rollout over the next few weeks.

The update, brought to our attention by the Android Police site, brings a cleaner, fresher look similar to that enjoyed by iOS users of Maps, which relaunched with a new design on Apple’s mobile platform late last year.

You want live traffic updates, incident reports and dynamic rerouting? You got live traffic updates, incident reports and dynamic rerouting. You want an Explore feature to help you find local attractions? You got an Explore feature to help you find local attractions. You want reliable directions for monumental life-changing decisions? You might have to wait a bit longer for that.

The new Explore feature promises to help users more easily browse and discover popular local places to eat, drink, shop, play and sleep.

While Maps is still out in front compared to rival offerings from the likes of Apple, Google certainly isn’t resting on its laurels. Last month it acquired the crowd-sourced mapping app Waze for a hefty $1.1 billion, so we’ll more than likely see the Web giant incorporate some of its features into Maps in the not too distant future.

Google points out that if you’re running an Android smartphone or tablet on anything lower than 4.0.3, you should visit this webpage to find out more about the Google Maps app available for your device.

The Mountain View company says it’s rolling out the Maps update “over the next few weeks”, so hopefully you won’t have to wait too long to get your hands on it. Once you do finally have a chance to tinker about with it, feel free to let us know what you make of it in the comments below.

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