Microsoft launches Bing search app for iPhone

Follows debut on Windows Mobile and BlackBerry.

Microsoft has launched an official iPhone app for its Bing search engine, offering voice search, mapping and other location-based features.

The free application (App Store link) went live last night. Voice search is the marquee feature, allowing users to speak their queries - 'San Francisco weather' is the example given in the introductory blog post - and get quick results.

Meanwhile, the app taps into users' current location and helps them find local points of interest, including restaurants, banks and cinemas. It also offers fully pan-and-zoomable maps and directions.

Another feature that's made it across from Bing's web version is its lush background imagery - the homescreen of the iPhone app shows the Bing image of the day, while it also supports Bing's image, movies, news and flight status search features.

Seeing Microsoft launch an iPhone app might feel strange, but it's actually the company's third. Last year it released photo-browsing app Seadragon Mobile, while it also recently launched its Tag Reader app on the App Store.