Google rolled out Google Earth 7 for the iPhone and iPad on Thursday with a new 3D cities view and a tour guide feature for finding interesting spots in cities. The update comes ahead of Apple’s iOS 6 release where Google support in the Maps app is being dropped in favor of an in-house solution.
Google Earth for iOS adds 3D city views
Google’s realistic 3D city rendering is currently limited to Boston, Geneva, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Rome, but the company says it will add more cities soon. The tour guide feature lists popular spots for cities, and offers details along with a 3D view of those locations.
The update gives Google a 3D city view option that resemble’s the photo-realistic views Apple will include in its Maps app in iOS 6, due out this fall.
The iPhone and iPad maker announced in June that it was abandoning Google as its in-app mapping solution in favor of its own technology. Google responded by teasing that it was working on an “amazing Google Maps experience” for the iPhone.
Google Earth 7 requires iOS 4.3 or higher, and the 3D cities view requires an iPhone 4S, iPad 2, or iPad with Retina Display.
Google Earth for iOS is free and is available at Apple’s iTunes-based App Store.