At long last, and with just the right amount of fanfare, we’re thrilled to introduce you to Version 2.0 of the Android Central App! It’s been a long time coming, we know, and there’s a good bit to talk about. So let’s just get to it, shall we?
First and foremost is the Material Design refresh. And we say refresh because we’re not actually introducing any new features just yet. We’re splitting this new era of development for our app — for all the Mobile Nations Android apps, actually — into several phases. And this first one was to get the basic Material Design work out the door.
It’s not perfect. The Material Design purists among you will note a few things that aren’t quite right. We’re well aware of that and pushed a few fixes off to the next phase, which will involve a larger refactoring of the code base. We’ve also got a few known issues. The wallpaper gallery needs some serious love. We’re still chasing down the repetition in the forums. (As well as a few other gremlins on that front.)
And then there’s the matter of notifications, and search, and a few other new features we’ve wanted to add in for some time. These things will come. We’ve got a clear roadmap ahead of us, and work’s already underway on that next phase.
Why use our app, you ask? It’s all about giving you another way to read Android Central. And we’d go so far as to say it has any number of advantages over the website. And it some ways less so. It’s all about the option, about having a choice. We’ll have more to say on this whole process from our developer, Mike Wolfson. (Check him out on Google+ here.) It’s been a fun and educational process, for sure.
So to our 6,000+ beta testers, thanks! To everyone trying the new app for the first time, we hope you like it! Tell your friends, be sure to leave a review if you’re so inclined — and stay tuned. There’s lots more to come.
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