Google has released its new Google Play Newsstand app, which combines both Play Magazines and Google Currents apps. The new app rolls in the magazine purchasing ability of Play Magazines with the news feed features of Currents.
The app feels like a hybrid between Apple’s Newsstand app and Flipboard. There’s no flipping animation like in Flipboard but users can scroll through a long list of stories. Tapping on a story opens it up within the app and the story will be grayed out once you jump back into the main feed, signifying that it has been read.
There are tons of new sources to choose from to consolidate into a feed, which resembles Google+‘s card-like layout. You can add more sources by navigating to the source list and tapping on the “+” button next to the source you want to add. Popular newspapers like The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Wall Street Journal are all in the app. Want something more in depth? You can purchase individual issues or subscriptions of magazines from within the app.
Google Currents will still exist alongside Google Play Newsstand for the time being, but will redirect Android users to the new Newsstand app instead. It’s only a matter of time before Currents is discontinued.
Google plans on bringing Google Play Newsstand to iOS in the future but it’s uncertain if Apple will allow a competitor to its Newsstand app onto its operating system.
Download Google Play Newsstand for Android
