After the impressive Jelly Bean presentation, Google is not done. The company has switched gears to Google+ and the future of their social network. The first major announcement is that Google+ is launching a native app on tablets today.
Google pushed out a redesigned Google+ app for iOS and Android over the past few weeks. Google said that many users complained about the lack of a native tablet app. A native Android tablet app will launch today to hopefully fix that complaint.
The major improvements to the tablet app are a redesigned photo stream that puts Google+’s impressive photos front and center. The tablet app also pretty much replicates the desktop Hangout experience with all the features that people have come to expect from Google+’s signature feature.
Google didn’t show off all the redesign but they said that they have completely revamped how people interact with Google+ on tablets. The company also announced that they are working on a native iPad app that should launch soon. The app will take advantage of the new iPad’s retina display.
Google also announced that all the new features for Google+ on tablets will be coming to Android smartphones today. It will hit the iPhone at a later date, probably alongside the iPad app. Once again, both Android apps will be available today.
Google kept the Google+ party train rolling by announcing Google+ Events. We heard some rumors on this a few weeks ago when Google+ had some source code that hinted at the application. Google+ Events promises to be more intimate than anything else because it’s only available to those who were invited.
Unlike other Events applications, Google+ adds something interesting called Party Mode. This is Google+ Events during the actual party where people opt in. When they take pictures at the event, they will be notified after the event to upload those photos to the event. This will allow everybody who was at the party to see all the photos that were taken during the event. The post-party event will then arrange the photos by popularity and tags.
With events, Google+ is getting the last big feature that many fans have wanted since launch. It remains to be seen if it will be a major contender with Facebook, but it’s looking more optimistic for now. Remember to grab the new Google+ app for tablets on Google Play.
[Lead image: Engadget]