New look Google Play Store begins hitting devices

Just last week, a new version of the Google Play Store was teased, promising a redesigned user interface and a number of tweaks to the way that categories are organized, among other changes. The update has now begun rolling out to Android devices, so keep your eye out for the new look.

Perhaps the most notable change is the new UI. The home page button placements have been moved around and are now curved rather than rectangular. There’s now also a large space for images and featured products at the top of the home page, while app recommendations remain in their little white boxes nearer the bottom of the page.

As previously teased, the new Play Store does away with the numerous categories from before and is cut down to just two main ones: Apps & Games, and Entertainment. Games and various other app sub categories now appear under the Apps & Games tab. The Entertainment tab houses the Books, Movies & TV, and Music sections. There’s also right-to-left flow of information for all RTL languages supported by the platform.

The new look Google Play has already begun landing on some handsets, but it could be a while before it makes its way to your phone or tablet, as these rollouts tend to be rather slow and depend heavily on which region you are located in. If are lucky enough to have already seen the update, let us know what you think in the comments below.

Xiaomi considering entering the US market with its Mi Note, flying high in India

Xiaomi has previously talked rather vaguely about its plans to enter the US market at some point in the future, but has steered clear about talking specifics in the past. Xiaomi President Bin Lin has just brought up the subject once again, stating that the company is actively considering its options for entering the US market.

Speaking at the WSJDLive conference, Lin said that Xiaomi is “considering” selling its Mi Note and Mi Note Pro smartphones in the US. Xiaomi’s Mi Note Pro offers up some rather compelling hardware that matches up nicely with today’s flagships, including a QHD resolution display, Snapdragon 810 SoC, 4GB of RAM and a 13MP OIS rear camera. Perhaps Xiaomi believes that its route into the US will have to go through the higher-end market.

Could the Mi Note Pro be the first Xiaomi handset to arrive in the US?

The company only briefly mentioned its US ambitions though, as focus turned to how Xiaomi’s current expansion into India is going. In short, it’s going quite well. Xiaomi is on track to secure a 14 percent of the competitive Indian market this year, and has seen global sales grow by 34 percent in the first six month of the year, despite slowing growth in the broader smartphone market. Xiaomi is also quite well placed for further expansion in the Indian market, having recently opened up its first manufacturing plant in the country in partnership with Foxconn.

Looking further into the future, Lin states that although smartphones are key to the company’s plans, he sees Xiaomi as more of an internet company than just a smartphone manufacturer. Smart consumer electronics, such as its new 60-inch 4K Mi TV 3, air purifier and home routers, form just some of the products in a growing portfolio for Xiaomi.

See also: Xiaomi Mi Note Pro review: checking the right boxes24

We are still probably a way off from Xiaomi launching any products in the US, as the company is still in the midst of building up a stronger patent portfolio before it leaps into the litigation heavy US territory. Still, do you think that the Mi Note series would sell well in the US?