Google on Friday unveiled a new pricing scheme for its Google Maps application programming interface (API), dramatically cutting costs to developers for using its maps data.

If you have an application that regularly makes a ton of calls for Google Maps data, you're charged for every 1,000 calls the app makes.

That used to cost up to $4 per 1,000 calls, but now it's going to cost around $0.50.

Google still lets developers of newer and smaller apps make calls to the Maps API for free, but once your app reaches 25,000 API calls per day for three months straight, Google will start charging you.

Ahead of Google's I/O developer conference next week, that's a relief for developers. Several competitors, like OpenStreetMap (employed in Apple's iPhoto), have emerged to challenge Google's dominance in Maps.

Google needed to create a compelling case as to why developers should be using its maps data.

Apple's Maps app also definitely has Google a little concerned.

Apple is ditching Google's Maps data in the next version of the iPhone operating system. With the iPhone being option one for app developers, they might be more inclined to use the same maps data that Apple uses on its phone. Earlier this month, Google had a press event about Google Maps that featured almost zero news. It felt like one long advertisement for the service.

沪江英语快讯：谷歌于北京时间6月23日宣布，已将第三方应用使用其应用程序接口（API）的费用从每加载1000张地图4美元下调至每加载1000张地图0.5美元。谷歌曾免费提供地图服务，但从去年10月开始收取费用开始，包括Foursquare和维基百科移动应用等主要地图驱动应用程序，都决定放弃谷歌。而最近，苹果也抛弃了谷歌地图。为避免苹果将要推出的地图服务的威胁，谷歌的新地图服务对外观、价格等方面进行了一系列改革。