Offline Maps of the World

I have long had a dream to write cards. Convenient cards that do not need Internet access, with up-to-date data, fast and working on any device. After working as an engineer on Google Maps, this dream only intensified and at some point grew into concrete actions.

If it will be interesting, I’ll write somehow how I left Google’s Zurich, while everyone around me was making square eyes, and then, with pure enthusiasm, my friends and I wrote a project for almost a year.

The result of all this was the offline maps for the iPhone and iPad that were released on April 12, versions for Android, Mac and Windows will be ready soon.
The idea is as follows. You are going to another country for any purpose, for example, to relax, and take with you your faithful Android or iPhone / iPad, MacBook or laptop with Windows or all together.
Before the trip, you install the application and quickly download a map of the country you need.
The states and Russia, of course, will be slower, but, for example, the map of Belarus occupies 45 MB, Switzerland 58 MB (the next version will be released soon, there all countries will be compressed by another quarter).
Yes, the program is free.

The application has a guide with which you can at any time read about the place where you are going, about the nearest attractions, history, etc.
You use the Internet only at the stage of installing the application and downloading the necessary card.
Thus, you do not need any roaming if you want to find the nearest toilet in the center of Paris or read from your device that there is still something interesting.
Map data is taken from OpenStreetMap, a WikiTravel-based guide.
The plans are to make available detailed information on restaurants, museums, hotels and all sorts of other services, with ratings, reviews, etc.

We will monetize the project through the most relevant advertising of various related services. For example, when searching for a restaurant or store, show ads at nearby restaurants and shops, offer discount coupons and book a table online. That is, geo-targeted advertising will not be a source of irritation, but an additional service useful to the user.
Cons of the current version: the guide is only in English so far and is not tied to a map; No search, but will be in a few weeks in the update. We are actively working on image quality. We are also working on the rest of the minuses, and the speed will increase dramatically when we find funding and move on to full time.
We are currently looking for investors and a graphic designer.
In general, the goal of the project is to make cards free and accessible to everyone.

We look forward to your criticisms and other comments.

The program for iOS can be downloaded from the AppStore . If suddenly downloading maps from the program becomes slow due to the habra effect, you can download them from here and add them manually to iTunes, and then restart the program.

PS Developers are all from Belarus.

PPS Advertising and promotion were not involved at all, as there was no time. In the first week, 12,000 users downloaded MapsWithMe for iOS.