Google Play Books 2.0 features 'Material Design,' upload support and more
After nearly a year without receiving any major improvements, the official iOS app of Google’s e-reading service has been issued its big 2.0 update.
Version 2.0 of Google Play Books for iOS notably features a new look and feel built on Google’s “Material Design,” which boasts “bold graphics, fluid motion, and tactile surfaces.” Material Design has also made its way to some of Google’s other iOS apps, including Google Play Music, Google Play Movies & TV, Google Maps, and Inbox by Gmail.
The update also introduces a new Read Now home section, which shows the most recently read books. Read Now also offers free samples based on personalized recommendations, which may also be accessed through search.
There’s also a new My Library section called Uploads, which is introduced along with the app’s most notable new feature: the ability to upload and read non-DRM PDF and ePub files not purchased through Google Play Books. Just use the “Open In” share option from other apps to upload books onto the app. Once uploaded, books may be accessed and read through Google Play Books’s apps on other platforms.
Google Play Books
In addition to Uploads, there are also the All Books and Purchased sections for categorizing books in My Library. Each category may be sorted by recency, title, or author.
Google Play Books 2.0 also boasts faster opening of books for the first time and the ability to double-tap to zoom any page, which isn’t supported in most other e-reading apps including Apple’s iBooks and Amazon’s Kindle.
See also: Yahoo and Microsoft locking horns to replace Google as Apple’s default search provider, Google acquires RelativeWave, makes $80 iOS app prototyping software free, and YouTube Music Key beta launches with ad-free music, background playback and offline viewing.
