I just updated the google play services lib to ver 15 to find out that MapsInitializer.initialize method no longer throws GooglePlayServicesNotAvailableException.
In the description of this method it now says:
Initializes the Google Maps Android API so that its classes are ready for use. If you are using MapFragment or MapView and have already obtained a (non-null) GoogleMap by calling getMap() on either of these classes, then it is not necessary to call this.
So, I guess if you have already called getMap and you have gotten a map object back, there is no need to call this any more.
MapsInitializer.initialize no longer throws GooglePlayServicesNotAvailableException with the new google play services lib ver 15
please read this to help:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/20768934/android-binary-xml-file-line-9-error-inflating-class-fragment