Step aside, Audible. There’s about to be a new player in town.
Google is preparing to update its Google Play Books application for Android with support for audiobooks, according to Android Police. The upgrade will open the door to a whole new section of the Play Store, loaded with the latest and greatest audiobooks from leading authors.
Android Police uncovered the feature in the code of the latest version of Google Play Books, so it’s looking like Big G has already implemented the infrastructure. It will need to activate it by flipping a switch on its end – and that could happen at any given moment.
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Taking a leaf out of Audible’s book (no pun intended), Google will allow users to listen to a sample chapter of an audiobook, before informing them that the rest of the book must be purchased to continuing listening, as outlined in the string below.
<string name=”toc_buy_header_audiobook”>This chapter will be available after you buy the audiobook</string>
It isn’t difficult to see why Google is venturing into the audiobook market. Google Play Music competitor Spotify recently added support for the format and Big G has to follow suit if it doesn’t want to lose customers to what could be perceived as a more well-rounded service.
Do you think Google’s a little too late to the audiobook party? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
