When I first heard of Schmap, I immediately wondered why anybody would make an iPhone maps application, considering one of the iPhone’s best features is (in my opinion) Google Maps. Schmap, a company that publishes travel guides, is set to launch such a competitor. It’s difficult to figure out what makes Schmap so special, but once you start using it, you’ll appreciate some of the extra features it includes. Basically, Schmap for iPhone is a souped-up web portal that lets you access any of the existing Schmap content- guides and local search- in an iPhone-friendly format. Once you’ve found what you’re looking for, rotate the iPhone sideways, and a map will automatically be generated, featuring your search results. We found this most useful when searching for restaurants, since Google Maps only lets you search for locations by their title, not by keyword.

Head over to Schmap.com/iPhone and give it a shot.