Google may be competing with Apple for share of smartphone market. But when it comes to services it continues to introduce applications that appeal to iPhone subscribers. One such application was introduced yesterday which incorporates Google Earth features on Apple''s iPhone 3G.

The service is available for free in 18 languages and 22 countries through the iTunes App Store. "With just a swipe of your finger you can fly from Peoria to Paris to Papua New Guinea, or anywhere in between," said a Google company posting. "It may be small, but it brings all the power of Google Earth to the palm of your hand, including all of the same global imagery and 3D terrain," it added.

Using touch screen features, users can move from point to point around the world, zoom in or out by pinching the screen and tilt the device to get a 3D view of mountainous terrain.

New features specially designed for mobile subscribers include "My Location" feature which instantly shows a user's real world location while Google Local Search helps locate nearby places, businesses and landmarks.

Google has also incorporated eight million photos pictures of landmarks and scenery integrated into the phone allowing users to take a "virtual tour" of the world. Wikipedia articles are also included in the feature.