Google Play will soon begin selling and renting textbooks to Google Android customers and Apple iOS users.
Google on Wednesday announced its plans during a press event in San Francisco, California.
The Google Play store will add a new channel for digital textbooks starting in August, just in time for the new school year to begin.
Buyers and renters will be able to access the digital textbooks via the web on Android and Apple iOS devices.
Google has not yet announced textbook pricing for sales and rentals. A Google rep does note that the company will feature a “comprehensive selection of titles” from America’s five major publishing houses.
The textbooks can be purchased or rented for a six month term. In some cases, content will be sold at an 80 percent discount.
Ellie Powers, Google’s Play product manager, reveals:
“Instead of a 400 page doorstop, Google Play books brings you awesome new features like search, bookmarks, highlighting, notes and even night mode, so you don’t wake your roommate,” Ellie Powers, Google Play product manager, told attendees.
Thanks to Google’s backbone, notes and bookmarks will be synced across all devices. The syncing capabilities occur when a device is accessed online or through a smartphone or tablet at a later time.
Google is planning to rent textbooks in various popular subjects that include math, law, chemistry, and accounting.
In explaining the cost of entry for new Google Android user, Powers explains:
“For just the cost of one new Nexus 7, you can buy that and rent all of your textbooks instead.”
Amazon has managed to successfully operating a textbook rental and sales channel, and now it looks as if Google Play will offer some much needed competition.
Are you willing to purchase all of your college textbooks from Google Play?