Foursquare wants to encourage local discovery, not just checkins

Foursquare, the location-based service, has significantly evolved since exploding in popularity at SXSW years ago. Only last month, cofounder and CEO Dennis Crowley was once again at the Austin festival, taking the audience through the startup’s journey, from being known for check-ins and gamification to badges and mayorships to tips and to-do lists. But Foursquare has reached a new level of sophistication and maturity, as Crowley described at this year’s SXSW. Now, it’s all about search and discovery.

Today, the company will introduce a new version of its iPhone app that streamlines the app’s user interface and refines its purpose. Following cues from its recently redesigned Android app,