Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous week or so. This week we have an esports app, an app that can guess your heritage just by scanning a picture of your face, more than a few A&E Android TV releases, and a note taking app that uses a smart AI to transcribe your voice recordings. So without further ado, here are the most notable Android apps released in the last week.
Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.
Apps
Blizzard Esports
Esports are getting more and more popular. The best players are turning into celebrities, and the prize pools are definitely nothing to sneeze at. Blizzard, of course, is one of the major game development studios heading this trend, thanks to its many competitive games. This is probably why the company just released its Blizzard Esports app on the Play Store. It makes it easy to find the latest schedules, news, and scores for all of your favorite esports events.
Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs
WHATTA? Packaging AR
WHATTA? Packaging AR strikes me more as a proof of concept app for potential advertising clients, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give it a whirl to see how consumer engagement can be improved by intelligent packaging. You’ll have to print out a soda can label to try it out, which isn’t really all that difficult, but it still may be a lot to ask of potential users with a passing interest.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Heritage Scanner – Your Ethnicity & Family Origins
Heritage Scanner is an app that can guess your heritage and ethnic background based on a photo of your face. This should help to narrow the countries your family originates from, though I’m not too sure how much I would trust the results. Still, this is a free app, and the more accurate methods out there involve a swab and a long wait times for processing, not to mention a slow mailing process.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $6.99 a piece
Lifetime – Watch Full Episodes & Original Movies
In the last couple of months, A&E had released a slew of new apps for Android TV, though some were pulled shortly after appearing on the Play Store. Well, it would appear that they are returning. The latest A&E station to push out a new Android TV app is Lifetime, and you can expect to find all of your favorite TV shows and movies that air on the channel. Of course, the majority of content is locked behind a cable sign-in, so if you don’t currently pay for a provider, then you’ll be limited to free content such as short video clips.
Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs
A&E – Watch Full Episodes of TV Shows
A&E – Watch Full Episodes of TV Shows is another Android TV release from A&E, and this particular title carries the content that airs on the actual A&E channel. You can watch full episodes of The First 48, Live PD, 60 Days In, Intervention, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, and many more, though you will need a cable provider log-in to watch the majority of content.
Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs
FYI – Watch Full Episodes of TV Shows
Alright, now on to another A&E property for Android TV streaming. This release deals explicitly with the programs that air on the FYI channel, so if you enjoy house hunting/flipping shows, this is definitely the video streaming app for you. Just like the rest, this title requires a cable provider log-in to watch the majority of content.
Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs
HISTORY – Watch Full Episodes of TV Shows
Alright, this is starting to get ridiculous. Not only did A&E publish the same apps a month ago, just to pull them shortly after, but it just seems weird to split up all these Android TV releases into separate apps when one would easily suffice. This particular title, of course, carries the shows that air on the History channel, but if you want to watch the majority of this content, you will need a cable provider log-in.
Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs
Otter Voice Notes
Otter Voice Notes is an intuitive note-taking app that can transcribe your voice recordings, as well as combine audio and identify individual speakers. It uses a smart AI for its transcriptions, which really helps to ensure that your voice notes are converted to text correctly. You can use the app for free, though you will be limited to 600 minutes each month. If you require more, then you will have to pony up $9.99 monthly.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $9.99 – $79.99
Manufacturer And Tie-In Apps
Voice Action Services
Google’s Voice Action Services provides functionality for voice-based actions, something that allows for you to perform quick operations of intent with all of your apps. Google Chrome and the Search app are not necessary to get any use out of this, but really, this is just a system app, so if you need it, you will already have it installed. This Play Store listing is intended for easy updates without the need for a carrier to ever get involved.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Philips Hue Bridge v1
Okay, this is a new app, but it only works with the older Philips Hue Bridge v1 devices. It would seem the first generation of Philips Hue products can’t work with all of the newer features found in the standard Philips Hue app. While it may be an inconvenience to move to a second app for your older Philips Hue products, at least the company didn’t drop compatibility altogether. So I guess that’s something.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Know A Worthy New App? Let Us Know!
If you have an application in mind for the next issue of the roundup, feel free to send us an email and let us know.
Important: there are 2 requirements in order for the app to be considered, listed below.
- the app’s launch date has to be no longer than 2 weeks ago
- it has to be original, ground-breaking, well-reviewed, interesting, fun, etc – the cream of the crop
Now, if and only if the above requirements have been satisfied, fire up an email to this address: [email protected].
1 sponsored placement per week is available (your app would be featured at the top and marked as sponsored) – please contact us for details.
