Microsoft's Bing app debuts on iPhone

Microsoft's feisty little search service, Bing, has finally made an iPhone app, which is now up on the Apple iTunes app store.

Bing showed off the free app at a party thrown by its mobile team in San Francisco on Tuesday night. Information about the new app is also now on Microsoft's Bing blog here.

Its description on the iTunes store says: "Make decisions and get where you need to go with Bing. See the Bing daily image and related trivia on the home screen. Search maps or the Web with your voice--even say an address. Use Image Search and flick through previews. Download Bing today to find stuff nearby and get there fast."

A Bing PR e-mail noted the key features of the app include: Daily image from Bing.com; easy to access voice search; tips and tricks on the home page; "Locate Me" functionality; ability to add pushpins and save locations; show multiple locations on a single map.

It's a sweet little irony, since Microsoft and Apple have been frenemies over the years.

But bowing to the power of the iPhone as the premiere smartphone out there, Bing has to be on its platform, if it wants to compete with Google and others in the mobile arena.

Microsoft already has some apps for the iPhone, such as for its Seadragon photo app, a Tag Reader app and various manual apps.

And, while others have made apps that allow its popular software to work on the Apple device, Microsoft has yet to release one, although sources said the company is working on them.

Microsoft has already made Bing apps for Windows phones, the BlackBerry from Research in Motion, the Sidekick and select BREW-based devices on Verizon, as well as Bing mobile from a browser.

Company execs recently showed off a spate of innovations for Bing, including new mobile features, but not in an iPhone app.

But, no matter how you look at it, the iPhone app is the big time.

Here are more screenshots of the app: