Apple adds featured apps section to all App Store categories
In a change to the iOS App Store's user interface, Apple on Friday added featured apps to all categories, bringing selected software to the fore while making in-store navigation more accessible for users.
When Apple introduced the refreshed iOS App Store in August, it incorporated a new user interface inspired by the Chomp app search engine, an asset the company purchased in February. The latest tweak to the online software marketplace brings a dedicated "featured app" carousel at the top of every category page, making the store more cohesive and visually appealing.
New App Store design as seen in the Productivity (left) and Finance (right) categories. | Source: Apple
As noted by MacStories, the new layout affords each category, such as Entertainment or Productivity, a large top banner, smaller "app bundle" banners, and scrollable "new and noteworthy" and "what's hot" lists, among others. The new look is more akin to the App Store homepage, and affords developers extra exposure within their respective software categories.
The refresh is another step toward creating a more manageable App Store that is easy to navigate and can help users discover new apps they might not have otherwise come across.
During Apple's quarterly conference call for its fiscal fourth quarter of 2012, CEO Tim Cook said over 35 billion apps have been downloaded since the App Store was launched in 2008.
When Apple introduced the refreshed iOS App Store in August, it incorporated a new user interface inspired by the Chomp app search engine, an asset the company purchased in February. The latest tweak to the online software marketplace brings a dedicated "featured app" carousel at the top of every category page, making the store more cohesive and visually appealing.
New App Store design as seen in the Productivity (left) and Finance (right) categories. | Source: Apple
As noted by MacStories, the new layout affords each category, such as Entertainment or Productivity, a large top banner, smaller "app bundle" banners, and scrollable "new and noteworthy" and "what's hot" lists, among others. The new look is more akin to the App Store homepage, and affords developers extra exposure within their respective software categories.
The refresh is another step toward creating a more manageable App Store that is easy to navigate and can help users discover new apps they might not have otherwise come across.
During Apple's quarterly conference call for its fiscal fourth quarter of 2012, CEO Tim Cook said over 35 billion apps have been downloaded since the App Store was launched in 2008.