Images of what is rumored to be Apple Music for Android recently surfaced online. A German website stated that Apple is doing a private beta test with Android users at present.
The screenshots first emerged on the German website, Mobile Geeks. If the rumored photos are real, it will be the second time that the company features an app for Android. The first app was “Move to iOS” app, which was not very well-received by users.
In terms of functionality, the new app appears the same as the iOS app, which includes access to the complete catalog of Apple Music and an efficient recommendation engine. Android Police noted that the upcoming app also has individual music downloads, curated playlists and the same dynamic radio as Beats 1 Radio. There were also a number of features that were not available on iOS, Venture Beat cited. Apple Music for Android allows users to change the cache size for songs saved for offline playback. It is still uncertain whether Android users can determine the cache location, which would apply more for individuals who take advantage of expandable storage via SD cards.
Furthermore, the Settings menu featured how users can arrange downloads to happen only over Wi-Fi. Users can limit the local storage used by Apple Music for Android.
Venture Beat also noted that the translation of the iOS app into Android version felt “strange,” since Apple incorporated several Android elements in its user interface, instead of recreating the app to feel exactly like the iOS model. Examples are the presence of the hamburger menu and the slide-out sidebar navigation. The approach is different from other conversions in the past.
According to the company, Apple Music for Android will launch in fall 2015.
Currently, Apple Music is one of the most popular music apps at present, with about 6.5 million paying subscribers, Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a report by Variety. Although the number is still huge, it has gone down from the 11 million who tried the app for free during its 90-day introductory period. Apple Music costs $10 per month, or $15 per month via a family subscription. The current app is available on iOS products, OS X and Windows through iTunes. All users can use Ad-supported Beats 1 radio stations for free.
More updates and details on Apple Music for Android in the following weeks. The new app is expected to compete with Google’s YouTube Red option.