HearPlanet Premium [App Store link] is a new and enhanced version of the free iPhone app HearPlanet. The premium version is U.S. $5.99.

HearPlanet Premium gets your location from GPS, or you can enter any location manually. It then provides quite a bit of text information, generally sourced from Wikipedia. HearPlanet can tell you what is around you, like tourist locations, museums, geological features, and read the descriptions out loud, or you can read them yourself without the audio. The app has worldwide coverage.

We took a look at the original HearPlanet and found much to like. Apparently, we weren't alone, as 300,000 copies of the travel app have been downloaded. One of the most requested features from users was maps, and now HearPlanet contains detailed maps of many locations. The maps are sourced from the Open Streets Map project, and are quite attractive to look at. Other similar apps can link you to Google Maps, but they throw you out of the program. HearPlanet Premium has everything in one place.

When you find locations, there are often thumbnail images that go with an entry, but you can't enlarge them. One of my suggestions for the free app was the inclusion of phone numbers, pretty important in a travel guide, but since the source of much of the information is Wikipedia, there still aren't many phone numbers that I could locate. The developer says there are phone numbers, and as data sources are added the amount will increase.

The maps allow you to zoom and pan, giving you a good idea of what is around you. You can reference the maps while the program is speaking, and the ability to look around while learning about a location is very nice. HearPlanet premium is a nice upgrade from the free version, which is still available at the app store. If you want the addition of maps, HearPlanet Premium is the way to go.

HearPlanet and HearPlanet Premium both run on the iPhone or iPod touch. Of course the touch does not have GPS, but it can usually derive your location via Skyhook's WiFi capability.

Check out a few screen shots in the gallery below: