Loopt's popular social mapping service is now available free through Google's Android Market mobile application store, helping users of the Android-based T-Mobile G1 smartphone find their friends.

Android is the mobile operating system Google designed to give consumers superior mobile Internet browsing experiences over smartphones. Core to this goal is providing access to popular services such as Loopt, an application that uses digital maps and pop-up balloons on smartphones to show users where friends are located and what they are doing.

Providing excellent mobile experiences also happens to be Apple's goal with its popular iPhone, the de facto gold standard for smartphones, as its 13 million-plus users can attest. However, with Loopt, Android may have an advantage.

Like Loopt for the iPhone, Loopt for the Android Market offers all the core Loopt features, including location updating, which alerts users when a friend is nearby, and the ability to switch between map modes for a satellite view of their maps. G1 users can also share their information with Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

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