If you’re already hot on Google’s heels, you’ll know that earlier this month the search engine monster hoarded all of its Android goodies into one easy-access place on the web, renamed to Google Play, in turn voiding the Android Market we’re all used to.
Today, our search BFF rolled out the new store onto their toolbar, with NEW added demandingly alongside in red. The promotion, visually, seems fairly pushy, but we can’t blame Google for using their high-and-mighty powers to attempt to compete with clear front runner Apple’s app store. For the big Apple, this is merely kiddie play, and it’ll be a long time before anyone wipes the smile away from their faces.
The new Google Play landing page.
Why the change?
Collating all of the company’s offerings into one web space has been done in the hope of bringing more customers in, giving them a smooth, straightforward shopping experience with everything in one place.
The name change also came about to help filter out the idea that only Android users can use the app store, which became too restricting and confusing. The new name now promotes the ability for customers with any smartphone to use the app store, so now everyone can drink the Google Play kool-aid.
What’s changed?
The new app store not only sells apps, but a deluge of multimedia mediums, including music, videos and ebooks, and also promises a few tweaks that will make shopping for your smartphone entertainment much more pleasant.
Visually, the most obvious change is the icon, which first changed its name to ‘Play Shop’, and then to ‘Play Store’. A confusing change for long-term users of the Android market.
Google is also making good use out of cloud storage, which is a long time coming considering Apple have already marketed their own cloud storage device, iCloud, a great deal. Now you can buy a book on Google Play, read chapter one on your phone, and pick up where you left off on your laptop or tablet.
The UK is still music-less
Sadly and annoyingly, Google’s music service is still unavailable to UK customers. While our friends across the pond are smugly downloading away, smartphone users must resort to third-party options. Surely Google will soon turn their game around and realise that a lot of the profit is in the downloadable music market?
What do you think of Google Play? Do you think your buying habits will change with the new app store revamp?
