Google Maps 5.6.0 Now Available for Android

A new flavor of Google's popular Google Maps application for the Android mobile operating system is now available for download, namely version 5.6.0.

The new release comes with a series of enhancements into the mix, but no major change was spotted with the application, it seems.

According to the application's release notes in the Android Market, the new software version comes with “'Best Ever' ratings and restaurant awards to Place pages.”

This would be the only important improvement that Google included in the application, although it is a minor enhancement in itself.

The new flavor of the application is available for download via the Android Market now, here on the web portal.

The mobile software can be downloaded and installed on all devices that run under Android 1.6 or newer, and weighs in at around 6.4Mb.

The update to Google Maps comes only a few days after the Internet giant made a series of changes to their mobile search page, on which they added a series of location-based features.

When accessing the Google Search homepage, Android and iOS users will see new places buttons at the bottom of the page, so that they can view locations nearby fast and easy.

Accessing info on a restaurant nearby, as well as on other places, is much easier now when pointing the browser on a compatible mobile device to Google.

However, Google Maps is the application that can offer true location features, when compared to Google's Search service.

At the moment, Maps with Navigation (Beta), Places, and Latitude is the most popular software in the Android Market, with over 50 million installs.

It offers voice-guided GPS navigation system, allows users see where their friends are on the map, and to check in to places through Latitude, so that others can see where they are, and also to find, rate, and get recommendations for places.