We had already seen it shown off at LeWeb 2010, and then again by Google, but all that did was make us want it more. Finally, Google has officially released the latest, and truthfully greatest, version of Google Maps for the Android platform. You can download it right now in the Market, as long as you have an Android powered handset that’s running Android 2.0 or later. Just in time for that Nexus S launch, right?

As we’ve said in the past, the feature set for Google Maps v5 is pretty robust. However, the main takeaways are the inclusion of 3D mapping, as well as the ability to have offline navigation for a few moments. That last bit doesn’t mean you can use Google Maps if you’re not connected to a data connection. It just means that, thanks to advanced caching, you’ll be able to keep navigating for a short time if you do happen to lose your data connection briefly.

Scan the QR code below if you want, or you can find the application in the Market. Let us know what you think!

Hands-On with Google Maps 5: