In early June, Google announced that it would be releasing a fully explorable, 3D version of Google Earth. Today, Google announced that the imagery is now available for iOS devices.
In case you missed it, here’s the entire presentation from last month:
Here’s a shorter look at the imagery:
The imagery has been available on Android devices for about a month, but Google has still managed to beat Apple itself at getting 3D imagery on iOS devices. Apple’s will come this fall with the release of iOS 6.
Google’s imagery is now available on the new iPad, the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4S.
“A map must be comprehensive and accurate no matter where you are or what device you use,” says Google Earth Product Manager Peter Birch. “We also believe maps can be useful in ways you might not have imagined. With today’s release of Google Earth for iOS you can literally fly through breathtaking 3D city landscapes and images and follow virtual tours of places you’ve never been — all with a simple swipe of your fingertip. It’s a new, and I think magical way to explore the world in which we live.”
“Also new in this release is a ‘tour guide’ to show you interesting places to explore,” says Birch. “We’ve put together short tours of thousands of famous places and historical sites across the globe so it’s easier than ever to discover amazing places. Just pull up the tab at the bottom of the screen to open the tour guide. Each image highlights a tours or place of interest in the area you are looking. Click on an item and you will be flown there. As you fly in and around the sites, snippets from Wikipedia provide additional information about the location. It’s like having a local expert right beside you! The tour guide is available for all iOS devices running iOS 4.2 and newer.”
The latest version of Google Earth for iOS can be found here in the App Store.