This is the first of two posts that will share the results of a resolution test of photos and videos uploaded to Google Maps. This post is about still photo quality, while the next one is about video quality (find the post on video quality here).
This test makes use of the three images listed below.
Original photos |
W x H pixels |
File size MB |
Link |
|---|---|---|---|
High res |
7296 x 5472 |
12.84 |
See original file |
Standard res |
3648 x 2736 |
4.12 |
See original file |
Panorama |
11072 x 2944 |
5.81 |
See original file |
If you click/tap on the links above, you can download and view the photos in full resolution. Please take note of the widths and heights, as well as the file size. The photos were taken with a Huawei P9 Pro cameraphone. I also did not edit these files.
Following their upload to Google Maps, the following method was used to download them in the highest resolution possible. Assume you want to flag the image on a desktop. Under the 3-dot menu, select Report a problem. The image is then displayed in the highest resolution available on the reporting page. To save a copy, use the “Save as” option. Then, please ensure that you do not complete the flagging.
The same photos after downloading from Google Maps in maximum resolution
W x H pixels |
File size MB |
Link |
File reduced to |
Pixels after compression |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
High res |
7296 x 5472 |
12.49 |
See image |
97% |
100% |
Standard res |
3648 x 2736 |
3.96 |
See image |
96% |
100% |
Panorama |
11072 x 2944 |
5.67 |
See image |
98% |
100% |
To my surprise, the files stored on Google Maps servers are not pixel-compressed, and the file sizes are only compressed by 2-4%, which is in my opinion insignificant. I anticipated that the Google Maps servers would only store a much smaller version of the original files.
Before we go any further, let me explain what happens to files when we upload them to Google Photos in Storage saver mode. The largest files are significantly compressed here:
The original photos after downloading from Google Photos using Storage saver mode
W x H pixels |
File size MB |
Link |
File reduced to |
Pixels after compression |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
High res |
4618 × 3464 |
2.84 |
See Image |
22% |
40% |
|
Standard res |
3648 x 2736 |
1.96 |
See Image |
48% |
100% |
|
Panorama |
7757 x 2062 |
0.927 |
See Image |
16% |
49% |
It’s worth noting that uploading files smaller than 3MB to Google Photos has no effect on the image’s pixel size. All of the photos I take for Google Maps are under 3MB in size. And, because I haven’t found the file size compression to be an issue, I’ll keep uploading my images to Google Photos to use the editing tools before transferring them to Google Maps.
I would avoid using Google Photos’ Storage saver mode for files larger than 3MB. You can still use Google Photos’ powerful editing tools on “Original quality” files. Then post them to Google Maps where the high resolution is preserved (and use the Google Maps servers to store the high res files).
So we now know that the poor image quality we frequently see in Google Maps photos is not due to Google saving space by compressing the images before saving them to photo servers.
Google image servers are smart
The required size is specified as part of the URL each time the Google Maps app or Google Maps in a browser requests an image to be displayed. Sometimes only a small icon is required, while other times a larger version is required.
This is where the quality deteriorates. When only a small icon or image for a small screen is requested, only tiny files are sent to your device. Lists, search results, and photo contribution lists are some examples. When we click on an image to see a larger version, we receive a larger version on our devices.
Even such large files, however, are heavily compressed. They are not even close to the full resolution that we now know is stored on photo servers.
Quality loss examples
Let me give you some examples of how much quality is lost when photo servers compress files in order to save bandwidth and delays for users.
The image below is a detail from the original high-resolution image mentioned at the top of this article.
Take note of the fence bars’ shape and clarity, as well as their nicely shaped different tips. Take note of how the windbag has been obviously torn.
When I open the same image on my phone and zoom all the way in, the following appears:
Take note of how the windbag lacks color and the condition of the windbag is not visible. And there’s a lot of jpg-compression-blur around the windbag. And the fence bars’ tips are just some hazy dots.
Next is a version of the same detail as they are shown on a smaller desktop screen:
Take note of how the windbag colors appear to be red and white. However, the edges of the windbag appear pixilated, and the tips of the fence polls have some details but nothing like the original.
Also, try comparing the sharpness of the white and grey chimneys in the three images above.
It would be interesting to see if the resolution improves when shown on a desktop computer with a larger high-resolution monitor.
Conclusions
Google Maps saves our photos at a much higher resolution than what we see when we use Google Maps.
The loss in quality is caused by the compression used when an image is requested based on the size needed.
I believe that the vast majority of Maps users value the speed with which images are displayed far more than the loss of quality.
If you want to see an image in its highest resolution, you now know how to do so.
Cheers
Morten
