Google’s Voice Search application for the iPhone just got a new rival, and not only that, but apparently a rival equipped with a few extra tricks, making it a serious competitor for the freshly announced app. Vlingo, the company that also makes voice-powered interfaces for BlackBerry smartphones, said the app is available free of charge.

So what’s so different about it? Well, first of all, it doesn’t break the iPhone SDK like Google, so you shouldn’t expect it to use the phone’s proximity server to begin a search. On the other hand, unlike the Google app, Vlingo also provides Yahoo! search options, which is great if you like having choices.

Furthermore, Vlingo also comes with a feature for Facebook and Twitter updates, all without typing, and users will also be able to initiate calls to anyone in the address book. In addition to that, it offers the possibility to look up and map local listings.

According to its creator, the Vlingo voice-based software gets better the more it is used, by learning words, phrases or sentences often used. Furthermore, Vlingo promises not to repeat mistakes after being corrected by the user.

Vlingo users can wirelessly download applications directly on their iPhone. The voice recognition application can be downloaded through the iTunes Store, and is available for both Mac and PC (for app sync with the iPhone).