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Google Earth gets more features on Android 2.1 phones

updated 02:15 pm EST, Mon February 22, 2010

Google Earth Android faster, gets roads, speech


Google today launched its first version of Google Earth for Android. The release comes well after the iPhone version but is championed as the best version of the mobile app. It adds a Roads feature previously only available in the desktop version and uses Android's built-in voice search to find specific addresses.

The 3D mapping tool is also supposedly faster on Android, as a phone like the Nexus One gets higher frame rates at the same time as it more than doubles the resolution to 800x480.

Nexus One owners can get the app immediately through Android Market; phones getting an Android 2.1 update, such as the Droid/Milestone and Hero, should have access to Google Earth when they receive their updates. Google has no immediate intention of backporting the app to earlier versions of Android and also hasn't said if Google Earth for iPhone will get the new features.

The new release is the latest in a series of Android-first or Android-only releases that have included Google Shopper, Goggles and Maps Navigation. Publicly, the search giant has said it plans to share features with other devices but in recent months has yet to add many of these features to its releases for the iPhone or other mobile OS platforms.




By Electronista Staff

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iPhone, software, Google, htc, Android, mobile phones, Droid, Nexus One

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  1. aplman

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Mar 2008

    -2
    02/22, 02:49pm | report spam | (1 reply) | reply

    iPhone baby

    Google is going to be more pervasive than Microsoft. I am an iPhone only guy. Go Apple... Fight the tyranny with great design. Google and Microsofts copy shops need to be shut down.




  1. pairof9s

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jan 2008

    +2
    02/22, 03:16pm | report spam | reply

    Treading on thin ice

    Google is starting to tread on thin ice with these direct discrepancies in services on their products. This is the type of "it works better on our product" schemes that got Microsoft in trouble w/ the Justice Dept and EU in regards to browser & media software compatibility.

    Is this the type of future we'll see w/ Google where Google searches return richer results if you use their Chrome browser?! I'd be more than supportive of the Justice folks jumping on them if this is their future strategy.

    /


  1. wrenchy

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Nov 2009

    +3
    02/22, 04:05pm | report spam | (1 reply) | reply

    @ pairof9s

    Yeah kind of like OSX works better on our hardware. Only. Now that's cause for investigation but the DOJ does not see a problem with it.
    Google maps will still work with whatever platform you have. If you want a better "User Experience", move over to Android. This tactic works for Apple.


  1. pairof9s

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jan 2008

    +4
    02/22, 04:49pm | report spam | reply

    @ wrenchy

    Apple doesn't develop, sell and/or support Mac OS X on hardware other than Macs. So there is no conflict of interest. Google, however, promotes its services as for everyone on every platform; however, now it seems to cripple those services when they're not their own.

    It's as the Animal Farm line goes, "All animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others".

    /


  1. wrenchy

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Nov 2009

    -3
    02/22, 07:59pm | report spam | (1 reply) | reply

    @ pairof9s

    Have you ever used MS Outlook Web Access on anything other than IE? Well it doesn't render properly and some functions are not possible. I can still access my Exchange mail on FF, Chrome or Safari but full functionality just is not there. OWA was designed for IE only and that's MS's choice. I fully understand that.

    Should the DOJ step in and force MS to code OWA for every browser out there? I don't think so. MS has it's interests to protect.

    Just like Apple protecting it's interests by not easily allowing their Intel based OS to run on "Non Apple Approved" hardware. And not allowing iPod's and iPhone's to sync with non Apple approved software. iTunes or nothing. Should that be allowed?

    You can do it, but it's not quite the same.


  1. pairof9s

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jan 2008

    +2
    02/22, 09:57pm | report spam | reply

    Huh??!

    To pick a sub-element of Exchange's enterprise-level messaging solution as an example of a corporate effort to weaken its product on competitive software is a bit of stretch. Your analogy would be a more accurate if OWA showed 75% of your email message in Chrome, Safari in comparison to IE.

    That's the point I'm making...that Google is looking to filter search data to those products which do not bear its logo. Is that how the major search engine in the world should operate?!

    /


  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    -1
    02/23, 01:36pm | report spam | reply

    @pairof9s

    And if iTunes or Safari for Mac has more features or capabilities than the windows version, will you be up in arms as well?


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