Originally Posted by
cplager
Google maps lets you cache the maps (on Android, at least) so you don't need data coverage (and I know there are other programs that do the same for both platforms). Particularly if you are in a spot with bad coverage, turning off the 3G/phone can save a lot of battery life.
At least on my phone the "Make available Offline" option only allows for a relatively small area to be cached. I'm not sure of the exact cross section.. maybe 50 - 60 miles left to right / top to bottom. I got up to around 100+ miles and it told me it was too large.
So I guess it depends on how far you're going or how frequently you want to re-cache your data.