Android tablets are finally getting some attention. Google today unveiled a new integrated home for TV, movies, games, and books on Android tablets: Entertainment Space. Shockingly, this is the kind of app that Apple does not offer on the iPad.
A key feature of Entertainment Space is that it offers recommended content (in addition to reducing the number of apps you use). In a blog post announcing this new app, James Bender (Product Manager at Google Play) said that Entertainment Space connects to the subscription-based apps you are signed in to and "tailors" those services' apps "tailored to you.
On an iPad, you would need to use the TV, Books, and App Store apps to see all of this content. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's great that Google has figured out a way to think differently.
On the Watch tab, Entertainment Space has a "personalized, trending recommendation column" of content from services like Hulu, Twitch, and (naturally) Google TV. The announcement states that "many additional services" will be included.Images of Entertainment Space look very similar to the Chromecast and Google TV interfaces.Watch also has YouTube video recommendations.
And then there is the Games tab. This is the "Continue Playing" row, an interesting concept carried over from Netflix, which allows you to resume the last game you played. The games here are also compatible with Play Instant tech, so you can try games without actually downloading them.
The "Read" tab has a similar function, allowing you to resume an e-book you have started reading or find and purchase a new title. Audiobooks are also included. Do you want to share your tablet, Entertainment Space is prepared for families with personalized profiles.
Entertainment Space seems intended to replace three existing apps, Google Play Games, Google Play Books, and Google TV (formerly Google Play Movies & TV). However, it does not replace these apps, but only reinforces the situation. This change in emphasis on entertainment makes a lot of sense. Tablets with large screens are practically made for consuming content.
This is the latest app reorganization by Google. Recently, Google pulled Google Play Movies and TV from Roku devices and smart TVs, replacing its media distribution channels with similar functionality from YouTube. [For starters, Entertainment Space will be available on Walmart's onn tablets, one of Amazon's Fire tablets' biggest competitors in the affordable Android tablet category. Other Android tablets from manufacturers such as Lenovo and Sharp will also make Entertainment Space available later this year.
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