Android 4.4(Kit Kat) could have a surprise entrant in the Google Play store with AndroidPolice reporting that Google is indeed looking at placing newspaper subscriptions within the Play Store, at least according to code found in a tear-down of the latest Google Play APK that’s rolling out to Android users now.
While this isn’t exactly brand new – The rumour of a News section within Google Play first surfaced back in March this year – but the more up to date code found in this most recent update makes the section’s debut look more likely.
Whilst their is no official concrete confirmation from Google itself, nor nothing else pointing to such offering being made available elsewhere, close scrutiny of the code within the APK, has revealed that the Google Magazines section might merge within the newsstand App, creating a centralised ‘NewsAgency’ section.
This does however make sense, given it’s most likely designed as a competition to the iOS app of the same name
Engadget and Android Police are also stating that the APK code is hinting at a free trial but this again, is not something that’s been confirmed (yet at least).
Would you like to see Google add Newsstand to the Play Store? Would you pay for a digital subscription or do you currently have one through a newspaper site directly?
I am a subscriber to both The Age & Australian Financial Review apps, which I download first thing in the morning to my Wi-Fi Nexus 7, then am able to read offline throughout the day.
Not sure what advantages, if any, I would get from a Newstand Service in Play. I guess it would allow people to make casual one-off purchases of the publication.
Seems to be a bit of cross over with Google Play Magazines though.