The Nearest Tube iPhone App is one of the first of the new augmented reality apps to hit Apple’s App Store and offers a brilliant, intuitive way to get around London. Created by iPhone developers AcrossAir, the app takes advantage of the new iPhone 3GS’s built-in compass to show you not only the nearest tube stations, but the distance and the lines that each station runs.

The Nearest Tube iPhone app is due to launch mid-July for £1.19 ($2) upon App Store approval, but sadly, will only work on the new 3GS. Combining GPS, compass and camera features, the app creates an overlay of information, showing the closest stations to your current location towards the bottom of the screen.

Living in London myself, I feel the convenience provided by this app alone would almost justify the purchase of the 3GS. Being able to find, at-a-glance, which direction to head when in an unfamiliar area and to pick a station that runs your line home (to avoid changing) would be fantastic. The only thing I’d like to see is the incorporation of the real-time Transport For London status updates. That would make this one powerful tool.

To see the app in action, check out the video below.

Sources:
AcrossAir and Crave