Google+ for iPhone app released

The Google+ for iOS app has been released [iTunes link], offering iPhone (but not iPod touch) users a native way to access the new Google social network. As with the Google+ Android app, which Google released at the service's launch, the iOS version supports Huddle group chats along with access to the full Stream of updates and individual Circle updates.

Prior to this app, iPhone and iPad owners have been forced to use an HTML5 version that Google offers online. Although it allows for basic Google+ access, it lacked the Huddle IM system and other components.

We're yet to see a native Honeycomb app for Android tablets, nor a native iPad version of the software, though we'd be surprised if Google's engineers weren't working on both. Google+ has been prompting controversy among social networking heavyweights, with MySpace founder Tom Anderson coming out in support of the service, while LinkedIn's CEO suggested Google+ would struggle to gain traction.