Teardowns of the application package (APK) files of the latest version of Google Play Store reveals that it will have one major addition: a section specifically made for selling audiobooks.
The first indication that audiobooks are coming to Google Play was in the form of a banner that advertised the said feature. The link is inactive and leads to 404 at the moment, but it is expected that Google will actually make the audiobook store go live soon. The banner also states that a user's first audiobook purchase will be discounted at 50% off of the original price.
News of the audiobook store coming to Google Play Store was not without precedent. An APK teardown from Android Police states that they found code referring to an audiobook section in Google Play version 8.4, specifically. This means that Google has long created the foundations of an audiobook store, but is yet to go live.
Google Play Store sold audiobooks through its "Music" section, but the navigation system was not suited for these items.
The new section is expected to have a system similar to Audible— currently the leading name in the online audiobook market. The nav system will allow users to browse through titles by chapter. The Play Store feature will also allow users to track their progress through multiple devices and platforms.
There are no announcements yet on when the audiobook store will go online. But seeing as promotions are already made public, it will most likely be available sometime later this year.
There are other features in the APK teardown other than audiobooks. An expected option is to leave auto-update just for system apps, as well as better notification system for games. Readers are reminded that the teardowns may be reliable translations of code in the APK. However, until the Play Store makes an official statement, the results are mere speculation.
