Today, Google announced an expansion to its Play Store with its new Android Excellence program. Curated by Google’s editorial team, Android Excellence features rotating collections of apps that deliver a superb Android user experience, utilize many of Google’s “best practices,” and “have great design, technical performance, localization, and device optimization.” Broken down into two categories of apps and games, Android Excellence appears in Google’s newly revamped Editor’s Choice section.
The announcement comes after Apple’s recent WWDC debut of its overhauled App Store, with a new interface and shifted focus on discovery and how-tos. It also has a new way to highlight apps — the App Store’s upgraded landing page will feature one new app a day, opening possibilities for up-and-coming developers and encouraging daily visits.
While Google’s Android Excellence program is more extensive, the lists will only be updated quarterly, a move that might not serve users as much as it does developers (who can reap exposure for months). Also a bummer — there are no descriptions to explain why editors select apps for Android Excellence, the way they do for other Google Play categories, like “5 Travel Apps for Your Next Adventure.”
Regardless, if you want to see what Google deems the best of the best, Android Excellence kicks off today in the Google Play Store. Below, their first round of selects.
Android Excellence Apps
- AliExpress by Alibaba Mobile
- B&H Photo Video by B&H Photo Video
- Citymapper by Citymapper Limited
- Drivvo by Drivvo
- drupe by drupe
- Evernote by Evernote Corporation
- Hotel Tonight by HotelTonight
- Kitchen Stories by Kitchen Stories
- Komoot by komoot GmbH
- Lifesum by Lifesum
- Memrise by Memrise
- Pocket by Read It Later
- Runtastic Running & Fitness Tracker by Runtastic
- Skyscanner by Skyscanner Ltd
- Sleep as Android by Urbandroid Team
- Vivino by Vivino
Android Excellence Games
- After the End Forsaken Destiny by Nexon M Inc.
- CATS: Crash Arena Turbo Stars by ZeptoLab
- Golf Clash by Playdemic
- Hitman GO Square Enix Ltd
- Horizon Chase – World Tour by Aquiris Game Studio S.A
- Kill Shot Bravo by Hothead Games
- Lineage Red Knights by Ncsoft Corporation
- Nonstop Knight by flaregames
- PAC-MAN 256 - Endless Maze by Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe
- Pictionary by Etermax
- Reigns by DevolverDigital
- Riptide GP: Renegade by Vector Unit
- Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes by Electronic Arts
- Titan Brawl by Omnidrone
- Toca Blocks by Toca Boca
- Transformers: Forged to Fight by Kabam