iOS 6 Maps: Able to cache route or location offline?

Question

I'm currently traveling for an extended period of time with an iPod Touch running iOS 5. I don't always have wi-fi access and I usually use the Maps application to look up my destination before leaving and then once I arrive the map is still cached in the app, even without connecting again to wi-fi. It helps me get around a new city and find my hostel or hotel.

The only thing keeping me from upgrading to iOS 6 is whether or not I will still be able to do this with the new Apple Maps. Is this possible in the new app?

Answer 1

Maps in iOS 6 should actually do a better job of this, because it uses vector based maps, which use far less data than the old image-based tiles, which means they can stay in memory longer, and more can be cached.

You can test this yourself by loading up Maps for an area, then turning on Airplane Mode and browsing around. In my own testing I found I could keep maps for most of Toronto, although when zooming down, it lacked street names for some of the smallest streets.

Searching or routing won't work without a connection, but any route or places you searched for prior to disconnecting should stay in place as long as you don't clear them.