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5 Android apps you shouldn't miss this week! - Android Apps Weekly

In this week's episode of Android Apps Weekly, we talk about all the app stuff that happened at Google I/O, some Microsoft news, and Square Enix's big week!
By
June 5, 2015

blood brothers 2 Android Apps Weekly
Sponsored by: Blood Brothers 2

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Blood Brothers 2 is a strategy RPG game that has you recruiting commanders and using their armies to do battle against opponents. Each one has a class such as archer, cavalry, or infantry and you use those to gain the advantage. The game also includes free daily commander recruiting, a PvP arena where you can do battle against live opponents, and guilds that allow you to grow your skills, get bonuses, and play as a team. It’s free to play so there’s no harm in trying it out and you’d be showing your support for Android Apps Weekly. Who knows, you might even like it.

Get it on Google Play

Welcome back to a special edition of the Android Apps Weekly show! This week we’re going to run down a bunch of app-related stuff from Google I/O 2015 and talk about some other news! Let’s get started:

  • Google I/O was a huge deal in the world of apps. Let’s talk about that first. One of the first announcements was of Chrome Custom Tabs which will allow developers to add Chrome Browser directly into their apps to help get rid of those terrible built-in web browsers in apps like Twitter or Facebook.
  • A new app permission system will allow you to grant access or deny application permissions when the app asks for it and you’ll be able to turn off app permissions in the Settings. Of course, this will all be in Android M.
  • Starting in Android M, developers will be able to use native Android fingerprint scanner support in apps. This will allow you to do things like log in with your finger or, in conjunction with Android Pay, let you pay for stuff in apps and in the Google Play Store. Oh by the way, Android Pay is totally happening.
  • Also included in Android M is a new way to backup applications that will backup everything so you’ll be able to just download the app and have your data already on your device for it.
  • Inbox by Gmail no longer requires an invite. Hooray! It will also be getting new features including undo sent emails, swipe to delete, and more!
  • Google Now on Tap is a new implementation of Google Now that’ll gauge what’s going on with your screen and give you suggestions on what to do with that information. It will also allow for app indexing soon to work better with other Android apps.
  • Google Maps will finally be getting improved offline maps support by the end of the year.
  • Google announced the Google Family Star which will show up on G-rated content in the Google Play Store to help families find content that is suitable for their children. The Play Store also has ESRB, PEGI, and other ratings for games.
  • HBO Now will be hitting the Play Store this summer.
  • Lastly, the Chromecast will be getting an update soon that will give it auto-play capabilities, second screen support, and multiplayer gaming. No word yet on when that’s coming.

You can read up on all of the Google I/O stuff from this master list we compiled. Here are some non-Google I/O headlines from this week:

  • Microsoft purchased the popular to-do list app Wunderlist this week. We have no idea what they’ll do with it but it is the latest in a string of purchases that Microsoft has been making that has also included Sunshine Calendar and Accompli which actually turned into the new Microsoft Outlook.
  • In some rare Android TV news, a few new applications will be making their way to the platform in the coming months. They include HBO Go, Vimeo, Twitch, and many, many others. This is great news for Android TV because it really needed more apps.
  • In our last headline, Android is getting its first full Harvest Moon game this winter. No, friends, this is not a port of a pre-existing game, this is a brand new game. It’s very exciting and we really hope it’s not Freemium. .

For all of this week’s headlines, updates, and new releases, don’t forget to check out this week’s newsletter. It’s packed full of the latest Android apps and games news including all the stuff we didn’t have time for here. If you’re so inclined, you can sign up with your email address and have the newsletter sent straight to your inbox every single Friday.


imgur Android Apps Weekly
Imgur

[Price: Free]
First up this week is Imgur. No, this isn’t a new application but it did receive a huge update this last week. Included is a Material Design overhaul, better uploading capabilities, and the boilerplate bug fixes and performance improvements. It has always been one of the better online photo sharing apps out there and now it’s gotten a whole lot better. It’s also totally free.

Get it on Google Play
imgur Android Apps Weekly

hitman sniper Android Apps Weekly
Hitman: Sniper

[Price: $4.99 with in-app purchases]
Hitman: Sniper is the latest game in the Hitman series from Square Enix. In this one, you’ll play once again as Agent 47 as you complete assignments using your sniper and assassination skills. It features some beautifully rendered cut scenes and some pretty impressive graphics. You’ll also be able to replay missions to get a higher score. It’s available right now but beware of those release day bugs.

Get it on Google Play

kamcord Android Apps Weekly
Kamcord

[Price: Free]
Kamcord is a new screen capturing application that is aimed at helping you secure footage of the Android games you might be playing. It’s simple to use and has already seen some success on iOS. It uses Android’s native screen capturing capabilities which means you won’t need root but you will need Android Lollipop or better to use it. It’s currently free with no in-app purchases.

Get it on Google Play
kamcord Android Apps Weekly

chaos rings iii Android Apps Weekly
Chaos Rings III

[Price: $19.99]
Chaos Rings III is the latest member of the Chaos Rings franchise also by Square Enix. This one features really good, Kingdom Hearts-style graphics, game play that was built for mobile, and a long story line full of lore and large weapons. It clocks in at $19.99 but there are no in-app purchases and let’s face it, that’s about how much this game would cost if it came out for the Nintendo 3DS or the PS Vita. If you like jRPGs, this is worth a shot.

Get it on Google Play

google photos Android Apps Weekly
Google Photos

[Price: Free]
Google Photos was released at Google I/O 2015 and is already highly acclaimed thanks to its unlimited storage and slick interface. You can get unlimited photo backup as long as you don’t mind Google compressing it a little bit or you can use your Google Drive space to save the full photos without any modification. It’s been out a week and it’s already heralded as a must-have applications. Just go get it.

Get it on Google Play

Wrap up

If we missed any great Android apps or games news, tell us all about it in the comments. See you next week!