Google announced the Android Excellence program on Google Play to expand its editorial involvement. This comes after Apple launched at the recent Worldwide Developers Congress 2017 the overhauled App Store with an almost similar update.
Google is planning to showcase top apps and games that are editorially selected with Android Excellence. Primarily, this program gives editors of Google Play a platform to feature the premium and top-notch apps and games on Android. To be done on a rotational basis, the Android Excellence collections will also be the podium to highlight the apps the company wants developers to create.
Some of the qualifications Google play is looking for are pretty much like Apple's. These include the user experience, design, technical performance, localization, or device optimization. Since this is refreshed quarterly, "that may not be ideal for end users in terms of app discovery, as the collections may grow stale after a few weeks' time", TechCrunch reports.
Below are today's Android Excellence Awardees in games:
- CATS: Crash Arena Turbo (Zepto Lab)
- Kill Shot Bravo (Hothead Games)
- Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes Electronic Arts)
- After the End: Forsaken Destiny (NEXON M Inc.)
- PAC-MAN 256 – Endless Maze (Bandai Namco)
- Pictionary (Etermax)
- Reigns (Devolver Digital)
- Nonstop Knight (Flaregames)
- Hitman GO (Square Enix)
- Toca Blocks (Toca Boca)
- Horizon Chase – World Tour (Aquiris Game Studio)
- Riptide GP: Renegade (Vector Unit)
- Titan Brawl (Omnidrone)
Below are today's Android Excellence Awardees in apps:
- Ali Express Shopping (Alibaba Mobile)
- Memrise (Memrise)
- Lifesum (Lifesum)
- Evernote (Evernote Corporation)
- Skyscanner (Skyscanner Ltd)
- Contacts Phone Dialer (Drupe)
- Runtastic Running & Fitness Tracker (Runtastic)
- Vivino Wine Scanner (Vivino)
- Citymapper (Citymapper Ltd)
- Pocket (Read It Later)
- Drivvo (Drivvo)
- Kitchen Stories (Kitchen Stories)
Also, Google has officially launched today the Editors' Choice category alongside Family and Early Access. Under the Editors' Choice, users will see "a rotating selection of delightful apps and exciting game, handpicked by Play Store editors".
