Android Market gets a smart new look

Will the Google makeovers never end? I sure hope not.

Google has started to roll out yet another new version of the Android Market. The revamped store client is going out to Android 2.2 or higher handsets now, on a rolling basis expected to take several weeks.

"The new Market client is designed to better showcase top apps and games, engage users with an improved UI, and provide a quicker path to downloading or purchasing your products", Eric Chu explains in an Android Developers blog post late this afternoon. "For developers, the new Android Market client means more opportunities for your products to be merchandised and purchased".

The timing isn't surprising, with Google looking to push movies and books, which will get prominent placement alongside apps and games.

The new app is more social, from app lists. "Users can now quickly flip through these lists by swiping right or left, checking out what other people are downloading in the Top Paid, Top Free, Top Grossing, Top New Paid, Top New Free, and Trending lists", Chu explains.

Among the developer benefits: "For users who are ready to buy, we've streamlined the click-to-purchase flow so that users can complete a purchase in two clicks from the app details page. During the purchase, users can also see a list of your other apps, to help you cross-sell your other products".

Google is part way through a massive makeover of all its product and service user interfaces, which kicked off with the introduction of Google+ two weeks ago. Google search has a spiffy new bar supporting the + service. The search and information giant also revamped Calendar, released a theme previewing a big Gmail makeover and started crowdsourcing YouTube's forthcoming new look.