iLounge

Google has released its anticipated Google Maps app for iOS. The app is designed for the iPhone and iPod touch, but runs on the iPad in a lower-resolution window. Google Maps features Google’s local search, vector-based maps, voice guided turn-by-turn navigation, public transit directions, Street View, imagery inside 100,000 businesses worldwide, walking directions, live traffic information, and more. Developers can embed Google Maps into their applications using the new Google Maps SDK for iOS, and a URL scheme allows Google Maps to be launched from any iOS app or web application, giving third-party developers options for circumventing Apple’s Maps.

Google claims that the completely redesigned iOS app is “even better than Google Maps for Android phones,” according to The New York Times. It’s noted that offline map saving and an iPad-specific app will be on the way soon. Google Maps requires iOS 5.1 or later.