We’ve never been big fans of Google’s Play Store. It gets the job done, at least once you’ve gotten around the slew of sponsored apps that sit atop a simple search across the store. Google’s latest update might change our feelings with new features such as AI-powered review summaries and something called Collections, supposedly turning Google Play into “an end-to-end experience that’s more than a store.”
We don’t have high hopes that we’ll be glued to the Play Store when Google’s through with it. But it’s worth a shot.
Putting the Google into the Google Play Store
First up is AI-powered summaries because it wouldn’t be a Google update without needlessly involving artificial intelligence, right? The idea is simple, rather than you picking an app by scouring through reviews written by (presumably) real-life people, Google wants AI to do all that work for you.
The feature was first announced at this year’s Google I/O developer conference in May, though it’s not entirely new. Something similar already wormed its way into YouTube’s comment section. There, at least, you’ll be spared any additional brain rot from the seemingly thousands of bottled comments YouTube can’t seem to rid itself of.
If you’re not all that fond of Google’s recommendations for something new to play, this update hopes to change that. It’s introducing “multi-select interest filters” (so, filters) that’ll let Google know specifically what you’re after. “For instance, if you know you want a sports simulation game, you can add that to your search.”
Get to the Point(s)
Perhaps the most interesting new feature of the lot, Collections, is also one of the few that aren’t coming to South Africa. Yet, anyway. Google hasn’t explicitly confirmed any other countries where Collections may launch later, though we can’t see why we’d be left out. Launching today in the US, Collections is meant to keep you engaged with those apps already installed, rather than tempting you with something new.
It’ll sort any additional content into categories such as Shop, Watch, and Listen. For instance, if you’re the type to stream Oppenheimer on a mobile device through Showmax, a ‘continue watching’ row might pop up to get you back in action sooner. Why you wouldn’t just visit the app directly is beyond our realm of comprehension. But rounding up deals from our various retailing apps? We can get behind that.
Read More: There’s a new Google Chromecast in the works, complete with a fresh look
If you haven’t heard the good word, most of your games available on the Google Play Store can be hooked up to a Windows machine to continue that Clash of Clans war when the boss isn’t looking over your shoulder at work. But that’s old news. The cool new thing is that you can play two games at once – one for CSR – and another for a handy Subway Surfers distraction to keep your brain moving.
If you aren’t already involved in Google Play Points, this is your sign to change that. In addition to the minor rewards the service has offered for years (for essentially doing nothing), it’s upping the ante by adding “Super Weekly Prizes” which include Pixel devices and Razer peripherals. It’s limited to users in the US, Great Britain, Japan, Korea and Taiwan for now, with no word on a South African launch.