One of the standout features of Google Maps that other mapping apps just can’t compete with is Street View, Google’s feature for viewing imagery that gives you an immersive, 360-degree, street-level view of roads and retail stores. Now, Google is launching a standalone app for Street View that will let you access and contribute imagery without having to go through Google Maps:
In one gallery, you can explore Street View collections and content from Google Maps alongside photo spheres contributed from people around the globe. So whether you want to track the Loch Ness monster in Scotland, scale the famed rock wall El Capitan in Yosemite, or hike Mt. Fuji, the Street View app has you covered.
The app will also let users contribute by shooting the 360-degree imagery that Google refers to as Photo Spheres. Users can shoot the photos from directly within the new Street View app and they are automatically uploaded to Google Maps. You can use your Android device or iPhone for photo spheres, but Google notes that more advanced users will be able to connect cameras like the Ricoh Theta S, or NCTech iris360, devices designed to shoot the 360-degree imagery much like Google’s own Trekker camera.
Since the Street View app builds in the Photo Sphere camera feature, Google will use it to replace its old Photo Sphere Camera app for iPhone users. Android users will notice the new Street View app in place of the Street View for Google Maps app on their devices.
iPhone users can download the new standalone Street View app on the App Store now.
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Stupid.
Google Earth, Google Maps, and Street View should be one app, not three.
I think it all comes down to design. Logistically they are all related and could be one app but is there a way to expose all that functionality and make it easy and intuitive to use? Google Earth has faded as a popular product now that the novelty has worn off and since aerial imagery has been added to maps. I rarely use Street View as it is so a separate app seems pointless to me.
Google integrates everything into Google Maps already.
Google it up to 69 apps for the iPhone.
Aplle and Google both need to combine functionality into fewer apps.
Interesting how they chose to mention exactly Yosemite park and El Capitan in the description. They could have mentioned any other park and/or landmark, yet they chose exactly these two, after which the two newest Apple operating systems are named…
amazing detective work
Ummm… I’m guessing they did it because it was just fun to write. It’s fun to connect those dots. This is 9to5Mac, after all. I don’t think that was over anyone’s heads.
What was wrong with accessing street view within the Maps app? It made more sense. This “new apps just for the sake of new apps” gets me. It’s kind of like Facebook rolling out a Facebook Groups app when the main Facebook app already has groups capability built in.
I long for the time when we were able to simply drop a pin and get Street View within the Apple Maps app on iPhone OS. Yet here we are, 8 years later, and the experience got worse. I kinda miss Steve, even though I’m not ‘allowed’ to say that anymore.
Installed it today – though the icon really gets to me – it’s like Australian Rugby Union!