Google Maps are out, and Apple Maps are in for the latest beta preview of the web-based Find My iPhone app. Users of Apple’s iCloud beta site will now see the location of their Apple devices and computers on Apple’s own mapping solution, although the Google version is still powering the public edition.
Functionality remains the same between the two versions, though Apple’s vector-based maps do appear more lightweight. AppleInsider tests revealed the Google Maps-powered version transferred some 4 megabytes of data for a single request, compared to just over 400 kilobytes for Apple’s.
Although Apple’s mapping solution debuted two years ago, Google Maps have continued to power both Find My iPhone, and Apple’s retail store locator on its website.
Apple has steadily been working to improve its mapping solution, following an extremely rocky debut. The company continues to issue updates to the mapping and points-of-interest data, with most changes taking place at around Midnight Pacific time each day.
