Updated ion-google-place.js which only calls google map API when search is performed. Master at https://github.com/israelidanny/ion-google-place/blob/master/ion-google-place.js

ion-google-place.js

angular.module('ion-google-place', [])
    .directive('ionGooglePlace', [
        '$ionicTemplateLoader',
        '$ionicBackdrop',
        '$q',
        '$timeout',
        '$rootScope',
        '$document',
        '$window',
        function($ionicTemplateLoader, $ionicBackdrop, $q, $timeout, $rootScope, $document, $window) {
            return {
                require: '?ngModel',
                restrict: 'E',
                template: '<input type="text" readonly="readonly" class="ion-google-place" autocomplete="off">',
                replace: true,
                link: function(scope, element, attrs, ngModel) {
                    scope.locations = [];
                    var geocoder;
                    var searchEventTimeout;

                    var POPUP_TPL = [
                        '<div class="ion-google-place-container">',
                            '<div class="bar bar-header item-input-inset">',
                                '<label class="item-input-wrapper">',
                                    '<i class="icon ion-ios7-search placeholder-icon"></i>',
                                    '<input class="google-place-search" type="search" ng-model="searchQuery" placeholder="Enter an address, place or ZIP code">',
                                '</label>',
                                '<button class="button button-clear">',
                                    'Cancel',
                                '</button>',
                            '</div>',
                            '<ion-content class="has-header has-header">',
                                '<ion-list>',
                                    '<ion-item ng-repeat="location in locations" type="item-text-wrap" ng-click="selectLocation(location)">',
                                        '{{location.formatted_address}}',
                                    '</ion-item>',
                                '</ion-list>',
                            '</ion-content>',
                        '</div>'
                    ].join('');

                    var popupPromise = $ionicTemplateLoader.compile({
                        template: POPUP_TPL,
                        scope: scope,
                        appendTo: $document[0].body
                    });

                    popupPromise.then(function(el){
                        var searchInputElement = angular.element(el.element.find('input'));

                        scope.selectLocation = function(location){
                            ngModel.$setViewValue(location);
                            ngModel.$render();
                            el.element.css('display', 'none');
                            $ionicBackdrop.release();
                        };

                        scope.$watch('searchQuery', function(query){
                            if (searchEventTimeout) $timeout.cancel(searchEventTimeout);
                            searchEventTimeout = $timeout(function() {
                                if(!query) return;
                                if(query.length < 3);
                                if (!geocoder) {
                                    geocoder = new $window.google.maps.Geocoder();
                                    console.log("Init geocoder", geocoder);
                                }
                                console.log("Searching %s", query);
                                geocoder.geocode({ address: query }, function(results, status) {
                                    if (status == $window.google.maps.GeocoderStatus.OK) {
                                        scope.$apply(function(){
                                            console.log("Geocoding results", results);
                                            scope.locations = results;
                                        });
                                    } else {
                                        console.log("Geocoding Failed");
                                        // @TODO: Figure out what to do when the geocoding fails
                                    }
                                });
                            }, 350); // we're throttling the input by 350ms to be nice to google's API
                        });

                        var onClick = function(e){
                            e.preventDefault();
                            e.stopPropagation();
                            //$ionicBackdrop.retain();
                            el.element.css('display', 'block');
                            searchInputElement[0].focus();
                            setTimeout(function(){
                                searchInputElement[0].focus();
                            },0);
                        };

                        var onCancel = function(e){
                            scope.searchQuery = '';
                            $ionicBackdrop.release();
                            el.element.css('display', 'none');
                        };

                        element.bind('click', onClick);
                        element.bind('touchend', onClick);

                        el.element.find('button').bind('click', onCancel);
                    });

                    if(attrs.placeholder){
                        element.attr('placeholder', attrs.placeholder);
                    }


                    ngModel.$formatters.unshift(function (modelValue) {
                        if (!modelValue) return '';
                        return modelValue;
                    });

                    ngModel.$parsers.unshift(function (viewValue) {
                        return viewValue;
                    });

                    ngModel.$render = function(){
                        if(!ngModel.$viewValue){
                            element.val('');
                        } else {
                            element.val(ngModel.$viewValue.formatted_address || '');
                        }
                    };
                }
            };
        }
    ]);