Google Play Closing The Gap With Apple With Latest Update

Google Play is finally starting to close the gap with Apple. Despite being the only way to get Android apps for phones and tablets, the store has been lagging behind its competition. However, the latest update is definitely helping with closing that gap. It also helps that the Apple iTunes store is starting to suffer with all the Apple mess-ups in the last few months.

According to Financial Times, the Google Play Store developers were paid $7 billion in total over the course of last year. While that is significantly less than Apple developers’ $25 billion, there is something else to consider. Apple’s figures remained the same between June and the end of 2014. The company saw the $10 billion increase, so it seems that the amount developers are earning is actually on the decline. On the other hand, the earnings for Google developers are on the rise.

This is excellent news for Android developers. That gap between the two stores is definitely closing. The latest Google Play update is likely to help with that, too.

Google Play 5.3.5 is now available for those who use Android 2.3 and above. That will be the majority of Android users now. It offers new functions for users, including the expanded notification options within the settings. It is possible to decide whether application notifications are displayed, according to The Fuse Joplin.

An update for Google’s music store has also been released, making it look very similar to the Play Store. The search function is on the home screen, but the update will only be visible to those who are running Kit Kat and later. For those disappointed by this, the functionality has not changed with the majority of the changes. The idea is to make playing music look better on the phones and tablet devices.

It is worth downloading the new update for the Play Store. It is not just improving notification options, but is also making sure phones and tablets remain free from bugs. While the apps go through scrutiny before being placed in the store, there is always the risk of something malfunctioning.

There are many questioning whether the latest update will encourage more developers to trust Google. The style of Google Play Music is possibly coming to other parts of the app store in later months. A better style and more functionality could lead to more developers opting for the Google Play Store over the iTunes Store.

[Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]