The Google Play Store is about to receive a major overhaul

When we first wrote about Quantum Paper (the internal name for the material in Material Design), we noted that Google was anticipating a series of updates to its own apps between the introduction and completion of the new design direction – updates which would bring the apps a bit closer to the new design style in a progressive fashion, so that the apps wouldn’t undergo fundamental transformations overnight. Looking back, it is now obvious that Google+ was our first taste of material design, followed by Google’s editing apps like docs and sheets. In the same vein, we’ve received information indicating that Google’s makeover of the Play Store is well under way. Happily, we’re also able to share some images this time around. The comparisons you’ll see below show the state of the Play Store’s refresh as it is right now. It’s worth noting that this is pre-release software, so anything could change leading up to an official release. So far, only content listings appear to have changed significantly, so that’s what we’ll be looking at in this post. What is clear from the shots, though, is that the Play Store is moving closer to compliance with Google’s Material Design guidelines, and that the content listing layout is evolving to put content at the forefront, with other information to follow.