Good news for Android users: starting today, Google is rolling out a new version of Android Market to all handsets running Android 2.2 or higher (which makes up the vast majority of Android users). It’s bringing with it a new UI, performance improvements, and a variety of features designed to help with app discovery, including new lists like ‘Top Grossing’ and recently trending applications (Google showed these additions off at Google I/O, but hasn’t rolled them out to the mobile client until now).
Oh, and everyone in the US is going to get their hands on the long-awaited Videos application, which was showcased at Google I/O but has only been available on a handful of devices until now. This new Market also merges the sale of Books, Video, and Apps into a single marketplace (before now you’d buy books using the dedicated Books app).
I haven’t gotten to try the new app yet, so I’m basing my impressions on the video you see here. The design looks like it’s taking a lot of cues from the Honeycomb version of Android Market — which I strongly dislike. But there are some nice touches, like the ability to swipe horizontally to jump between screens. I’ll reserve my judgement until I get some time with the app.
The new version of Market will be rolling out over a fairly long window — it may take as long as a month to arrive on your handset, though it sounds like US users may see it sooner.
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