Google launches Latitude for iPhone…as web app

Google has announced an iPhone compatible version of their Latitude mobile app. Latitude provides the same functionality as the Google-owned Dodgeball (now defunct), but also allows users to track their friends on Google’s Gmail contact list via Google Maps. Previously, Latitude was available for Google Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Symbian’s S60.

Curiously, Latitude has been released as a web app for the iPhone, as the iPhone OS 3.0 enables Mobile Safari to determine the location of your device.

We worked closely with Apple to bring Latitude to the iPhone in a way Apple thought would be best for iPhone users. After we developed a Latitude application for the iPhone, Apple requested we release Latitude as a web application in order to avoid confusion with Maps on the iPhone, which uses Google to serve maps tiles.

Ouch. Apple has even denied a Google app from the App Store. Apple and Google could have integrated the functionality into Maps on the iPhone, but perhaps that would have been dangerous for the average iPhone user.

Try Google Latitude on your iPhone by visiting Google.com.

Read [Google Mobile Blog]