You probably use various Google marketplaces everyday; the android market for various Android apps and Android games, the Google Music Store for music, Google ebooks store to read or preview books and so on. All of these marketplaces had to be accessed independently of each other until now. Google has finally launched a product that brings the best in online entertainment to one single location and it’s called Google Play. Google Play Brings Books, Movies, Music and Apps to one Central Hub. Read on to learn more.
So, what is Google Play?
Simply put, it is a place where you can access your Android apps and games, your favorite music, movies, and books from one central hub. And you can access them from the web, from your Android device, or even from your television and have them instantly available on all such devices.
The Google Play Interface
Google Play’s interface is oddly enough a streamlined version of the Android market. The only additional feature you notice is the navigation bar that displays additional options for books, movies, and more items. You can also share links to movies you rented, albums you purchased and more with a few clicks.
Replicating the iOS Cloud
Google has finally recognized the need to make store purchases or downloads instantly accessible on all devices, which of course, has now become possible with the power of cloud services. So you can now simply rent a movie online and watch it on your device, while travelling. This is cloud at its best, and better yet, at no additional cost.
What Happens to Your Existing Downloads
Your existing market purchases and downloads will be transitioned to Google Play. The Android Market icon will be replaced by the Google Play Store icon. Books, movies and such will be aptly titled Play Books, Play Movies, and so forth.
Availability of Google Play
Google Play will be rolled out in stages. The web version of course is available worldwide, but the updates to the Android devices will be rolled out in the coming days. Now, all this is of course, good news if you live in the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, or UK. Because Google’s individual services are available only in select countries, users in other countries will not have access to them, unless Google rolls out the services in those countries, and that is surely going to take some time, if not more.
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Google Play is also expected to be available as an iOS app.
To get Google Play Store on your Android device now:
1. On your Android device running 2.2 and above, tap Settings->Applications->Market
2. Tap Clear Data.
3. Tap the Market icon on your Home screen again and accept the terms of service.
You now have Google Play on your Android device!
Have you checked out Google Play? what do you think of Google’s attempt to bring together its entertainment services under one roof?
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