by So many of the little details surrounding Google Play Music for iOS suggest that the tech giant isn’t so eager to win over iPhone owners as recent overtures might suggest. Never mind that six months passed before its iOS launch, but the in-app keyboard retains the design of iOS 6 and the skeuomorphic icon stands in stark contrast to its updated brethren. It’s a shame, because there’s a really well designed music app lying in store once you make it through such chaff.
The advantages of Google’s alternative are most apparent in its ability to one-up iTunes Match by letting you match up to 20,000 songs from your desktop’s music library for free. That’s enticing, but Play Music truly comes into its own with the All Access pass set at $9.99/month. Not only does it allow Spotify-style music selection, editable radio playlists, and offline play, but it also lets you mingle its 20-million-song library with music you already own. Play Music includes Chromecast support, as well, allowing you to play your music on nearby screens.
Play Music boasts a sleek design, runs smoothly, and indeed, the fault for its greatest deficiency likely lies more with Apple than anything. Apple’s stance on in-app purchases means buying a song through the app is out of the question, and you’ll need to head to an external browser even if you want to sign up for the free trial month of All Access.
Even so, that doesn’t explain other odd omissions, such as the inability to delete songs from playlists, or the absence of the “I’m Feeling Lucky” playlist generator from Android that builds radio stations based on your preferences. Painful, too, is the absence of a native iPad app. Such downsides make it hard to recommend for iTunes users already subscribed to iTunes Match, but it’s a welcome and stable addition for iOS users already heavily invested in Google Play.
The bottom line. Google Play Music is a stellar addition for fans of Google’s music store, but its existence outside the Apple ecosystem makes using some features a little bit awkward.
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