Google Earth is a monster of a program. Now you can take it with you wherever you go in this version of Google Earth for Android.
The good
Google Earth makes a great first impression. The program is controlled completely from the touchscreen, so users with larger screens are in luck. Tap to zoom in, and pinch to zoom out. It couldn't be simpler. There's almost nowhere on the globe that you can't access with Google Earth, so swipe and zoom until you've surveyed the whole planet. There's also a search option under menu, for more direct access.
Also under the menu, you'll find more features that will take your Google Earth experience to another level. My Location will take you to where you are using the app, while under the Layers option you'll be able to enable and disable secondary sources of information, like Wikipedia and Panoramio photos. Under Google Earth's settings, you'll be able to specify more technical details, like whether or not to use your phone's hardware sensors for navigation and the ability to limit the cache, so Google Earth doesn't suck up your resources.
The bad
Unfortunately, Google Earth just doesn't follow up on its excellent first impression. Although the scale of the app is awesome - in the most literal sense - it doesn't measure up in usability. Navigation can be sticky, especially when the Look around feature is enabled, and close-up graphics aren't crisp. The 3D feature for viewing famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and Taj Mahal doesn't always work, while the Layers feature is also wanting.
Although Google Earth offers eight Layers - and you can enable and disable them at will - they just don't work well. Too many, and the interface becomes unusably crowded. You can't add more Layers, or remove them from the list, and the icons are indistinct and fiddly. These usability problems are disappointing. Google Earth is an amazing concept and works fantastically on other devices. Unfortunately, Android isn't yet one of them.
Google Earth for Android is a great idea that unfortunately has some unforgivable usability issues on Android.
