The new app has been overhauled to include a larger library of videos, a new swipe-out YouTube guide and the ability to share on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. An iPad version of the app is also in the works.
YouTube app no longer default on iPhone, iPad
''We are offering a better user experience to iPhone users,'' Francisco Varela, YouTube global director of platform partnerships, told the Associated Press. ''We will now have content parity on all our mobile platforms.''
The move to release an app ahead of Apple's press event and the imminent launch of iOS 6 has sparked speculation that YouTube's parent company Google is making a preemptive strike. Apple is widely expected to announce its next iPhone on Wednesday in San Francisco.
Apple and Google's relationship has become increasingly competitive since the partnership was initially formed for the launch of iPhone 1 in June 2007.
In 2008, Google launched its own mobile operating system Android. Apple's late co-founder Steve Jobs famously said to his biographer, "I'm going to destroy Android, because it's a stolen product. I'm willing to go thermonuclear war on this."
Apple announced in August that YouTube will no longer be the default video app on iOS devices. At the time, Google said it was working with Apple to ensure "the best possible YouTube experience for iOS users."
It's worth noting that the default YouTube app previously installed on iPhones is designed by Apple using Google's application programming interface (API). An API is a set of tools that lets third-party developers write custom programs for a service. The new YouTube app is built by YouTube engineers, giving the company more control of the features and design.
Google did not comment on speculation over the timing of the launch, and released this statement to CBS News:
"Today we launched a new app available for download dedicated to giving users the best YouTube experience on iOS devices. The new app brings more videos and channels, makes it easier to find what you're looking for, and gives you more ways to share the videos you love."
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