New Android Market App Tells of Google Music Store
When Google first introduced Google Music, we were treated to a vision far broader than just uploading your already-existent music collection to the cloud for playback via wireless streaming. We got a look at how life would be like if Google offered music purchasing functionality for Android users, similar to what Apple does with iTunes and what Microsoft does with Zune. Unfortunately, the Music beta didn’t come with these features.
Fortunately, “beta” means Google isn’t finished, and our friends at Android & Me have reason to believe that we’re inching closer to getting the full experience Google envisioned. They looked inside the resource files of the latest Android market app update and found some images not currently used. That market icon in the upper left corner when you go to a specific section of the Android market? There are certain-colored icons for games/apps, books and movies.
Well, thanks to what’s been revealed by the resource tree, there is a specific icon just for Music. It’ll be orange themed – just like Google Music’s main color. This could mean a lot but could mean very little. Google could very well be in promising negotiations with record labels to provide the service, and these resource files could suggest they’re far along in those talks.
Another scenario that is just as likely? They could just be anticipating that the music service will come sometime – anytime – down the line. It doesn’t hurt to keep the necessary resources inside the application as they don’t take up much space, so Google may have just thrown this in for good measure.
So we know they’re still trying to get that music store launched, but we’re still not exactly sure how far off we’re on. We’re hopeful that today’s discovery means we’re ever closer, but we won’t get our hopes up. Are any of you looking forward to this? [Android & Me]