The iOS 4-compatible apps continue to roll-in. The latest is Foursquare which now includes fast app switching and high resolution artwork for the iPhone 4’s retina display. And this latest version, 1.9, includes a little bonus: a new map view. One thing not included, however, is background location.
The new map view allows you to see avatar representations of your Foursquare friends overlaid on a Google Map. You can also hit the locator button to show off where you are and see which friends are actually closest to you. Clicking on their images brings a pop-up that shows their current location (which you can click on to go to that location’s page in the app).
This view is a welcome addition as it’s a better way to see who is actually near you. The traditional list view doesn’t really mean a lot unless you know an area really well. Rival Gowalla offers a similar map view on its iPad app. Other rivals like Loopt and Latitude have had this map view for a while.
This new version of Foursquare also feels significantly faster than previous versions of the app.
As I said, one thing not included in this version is background location. That’s a new feature of iOS 4 that other apps, like Loopt, are already taking advantage of. Foursquare has said they’re waiting to see how users approach this new functionality, as it will open a whole other door beyond check-ins. I do know that they’re working on version 2.0 of the app — which will undoubtedly be a pretty significant upgrade. They have to do something with all that money, after all.
You can find the latest version of Foursquare here in the App Store. It’s a free download.
