Wells Fargo recently released a native iPhone app in the Apple App Store thus joining the "big four" banks who are now offering their own banking applications for iPhone handsets. The new thingamajig allows checking Wells Fargo banking balances and can be used immediately after you download it to your iPhone. You just need to enter your normal online banking username/password.

As reported by some observers the design of the application apparently was not developed to conquer aesthete hearts, still it is very user-friendly and includes the typical online banking functions: balance inquiry, transaction listings, funds transfer, bill pay and GPS-enabled ATM/branch finder. The database lists only the 12,000 Wells or Wachovia ATMs.

When logging into your account through the application for the first time it encourages you to create a short account nickname to make them easier to read on the small screen. Besides, the bank also suggests users to subscribe for text-message banking.

Meantime, there is no mention of the new app on the Wells Fargo site.