(cross posted with the Google LatLong Blog)
The world just got a little bit smaller. Google Earth is now available for the iPhone and iPod touch, allowing you to fly to the far reaches of the world from the palm of your hand. Since we launched Google Earth for the desktop in 2005, we've had over 400 million unique downloads, and people from around the world have used it to view their house, research travel destinations, learn how to make the world a better place, find local businesses, and view geo-located photos. Now, with a free download from the iTunes App Store, you can fly through the same 3D immersive world of Google Earth you've come to love, without having to fire up your desktop computer.
Check out this video tour to see Google Earth for the iPhone in action:
Not only is having Google Earth on your iPhone convenient, but the touch interface is a very natural way to interact with the Earth. Just swipe your finger across the screen and you fly to the other side of the globe; tilt your phone and your view tilts as well. You can pinch to zoom in or out, or just double tap with one finger to zoom in and two fingers to zoom out. We also integrated the My Location feature, so with a touch of a button, you can fly to where you are in the real world on your phone. In addition, we have over eight million Panoramio photos, which are geo-located photos of places, and you can view any and all of them from your iPhone. Besides being beautiful, high-quality pictures, they're specifically of places, so you don't have to see some guy's family on vacation in Thailand--you can see the beaches, the temples, all the things that give you a real sense of the place. Here is a nice shot of the Grand Palace that I found on my virtual tour of Bangkok.
All versions of Earth include search, and the iPhone version is no exception. You have access to the same great local search that you get with Google Maps, so you can search for places, businesses, and landmarks. With Google Earth you get to the full detail page for businesses, so you can get reviews, photos, user content, business hours, and other useful information. We also added a "search near me" feature, so with one touch you can find businesses near your location, without having to navigate there first or type in the name of the city. Looking for a good cafe when you're in Trento, Italy? It's a snap:
To get Google Earth on your iPhone, visit the App Store in iTunes or your iPhone, and search for "Google Earth."
Google Earth now available for the iPhone
Sunday, October 26, 2008 11:31 PM
Labels: google earth, iphone, ipod touch
47 comments:
great! the navigation is so natural and the tilt functionality is amazing.
Cool app! Can't wait to get it. Will it be released in other markets outside the US? Say like in Singapore?
Please make Google iPhone apps available outside USA. I live in Brazil and can't test it. We don't need the translation right now, just the apps.
As previous posters said, it doesn't seem to be available in every country. The original announcement says it will be released in just 20 countries. May I ask why isn't it available everywhere while the desktop version is?
(I'm from Argentina, btw)
PLEASE add "my maps."
why is Google launching Google earth on the iPhone and not, unless I'm mistaken, on the G1?
Yes, why not release this for the G1 first? I am eagerly waiting for this for mine!
How about the non-US markets? I heard you covered Australia, but how about the English speakers in the non-English speaking countries?
Why has this NOT been released for the G1 first?!?!?!?!!?!?
what the hell, Google.
this sux,
very slow, crashing all the time
bad work google bad work
Great concept.
Unfortunately it appears as if it was developed by the same 3rd grade special-ed class which develops Facebook applications.
This app crashes incessantly and therefore is of little or no use in its current form.
I haven't used it extensively, but it worked fine (no crashes).
Great idea, and an excellent application while it works.... however unfortunately it's very slow and buggy:
* Startup takes ages.
* Pressing the search button means waiting ages for the keyboard to appear and then even longer before you can type.
* Moving around the world too quickly guarantees a crash in a few seconds.
* Even leaving the app idle for a minute or so (my auto-off is set to 5 mins) will also lead to a crash.
However if these issues get sorted, and knowing Google they will pretty soon, then the application will be great.
Also one feature that I would also love to see implemented is bookmarks.
Is this available for iPhones running 1.4? I really don't want to upgrade to version 2 of the iPhone. I'm happy with 1.4. Is there is source URL anywhere?
I live in Romania and can't install the App. When will I be able to do it?
excellent work, gDudes. this app is so much fun when you can carry it in your pocket and navigate in 3d with multitouch! sick
Looks good! Now tell me, when can we expect the Windows Mobile version?
No problems/crashes on my 2nd Gen iPod Touch. Need added functionality, though, like the ability to add in our own data. Also need a disconnected mode so that if we don't have a solid connection to the internet we can still use the app. Good first release, Peter.
Why this app is not available in Hong Kong ?
Also, same as Google Mobile App,
Could you make those apps available for Hong Kong ?
Yeah what's up with not letting users outside the US play with your awesome and free apps? This is such a bummer.
It does not work if you are connected to net (wifi) through a proxy server
Is it available in portuguese?
Thanks,
M.
Hungary calling. Looks like the world really has gotten smaller with this release -- only available in 22 countries. That's considerably less than real Earth. Any hints about when the rest of the Earth can go explore?
For iPhone!? What, no G1... My dreams have been crushed!
I second the motion to publish this app to the Hong Kong app store!
please, pretty please!
Thats great, i am looking for when this apps released in Hong Kong
Great. I will waiting
But is there the hidden flight sim app still?
For those that want to request Google Earth in your country, place the request here:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/itunes.html
Let's encourage Apple (and Google) to deploy this great app worldwide!
Get this in Hong Kong now! Why do we have to wait so long for everything when we have some of the best telecoms in the world!
Great! This is cool, but now we need some apps that really utilize the power and mobile nature of the iPhone, such as an actual GMail app with push, or Google Talk app!
It crashes constantly every time when i start aplication...Is there solution for this?
please, open this app in Brazilian app store. i can't wait to use this nice app.
thanks
Please, bring it to Brazil!
same problem here with international version. given the slowness that google shows in making some useful services available worldwide I think it's time to make a new google.com which focuses more on "world-wide", not only us. I'm from romania and I'm very disappointed that for example google maps doesn't have even 1 city from romania mapped when the competition(both) have almost all of the country.
Is not avaliable in Russian App Store . . . Can not try it now . . .
why launch something in one app store and not another? not found in singapore app store too. no google earth, no gmail 2.0 etc. :( :(
Works well on the iphone.
please make ALL iPhone Google apps available Chile. I use them regularly on my PC, why can't I use them on my iPhone?
thanks, Pablo
If it's free, then it shouldn't be in a (country) store. It should be available outside the store!
In other words can't understand why it is still (Nov 13, 2008) not available in Polish store.
Where is the love for WinMo?
Hey, did you guys forget about Windows Mobile?
Why is google earth and google mobile app for the iphone not available in countries like India? It's highly irritating to just read about them with no possible explanation!!!!!
Why aren't your new apps being distributed in Hong Kong at launch? We have great networks and lots of mobile phones here!
come on google! is you a global company or america only? please, respect all of your users around globe. or just tell us about this failure (at moment, is just like it - a fail). Even worse, Google Earth is free, so what justify this?
OFF: sometimes the iTunes Store is not global like we would like to be. For example, here in Brazil, we don't have a 'Games' category. I love a game, Bejeweled and cannot even pay! I'll love to pay for it!
C´mon guys, why all the Google Apps are not available worldwide?.
Shame on you !
Here in Brazil, the iphone is available in 3 different phone carries, not mentioning the thousands devices "jailbreaked" in use.
Tt is very said that the Google Apps are not available.
You guys are missing a big opportunity here.
cheers.
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