At a Mobile World Congress demo this morning, Google’s VP of engineering, Vic Gundotra showed the Palm Pre running a webapp version of Google Maps coded totally in HTML5, and which operated exactly as native software might. The app – which supported all the Pre’s multitouch navigation, together with the usual search, zoom and other Google Maps functionality – takes advantage of the Webkit engine used in the Pre’s browser.

Video demo after the cut

That same engine is also used in the Android platform browser and the iPhone’s browser, which means that developers are able to code a single app that will run identically on any of these devices. It relies on HTML5’s AppCache, GeoLocation and Database standards to keep an offline record of not only data but app functionality. Gundotra also demonstrated an offline-capable version of GMail, which not only has an executable state on an unconnected device – such as when in airplane mode – but a floating menu and labelling support, and that which looks identical on both the iPhone 3G and the HTC Magic Android device.

Incidentally, Gundotra also described the Pre as “arguably one of my most favorite devices”, a sentiment which after our time with the handset here at MWC we can’t disagree with. More hands-on video with the Pre coming up shortly.