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Apple adds new discovery and testing features, app bundles to iOS 8 App Store

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Apple on Monday unveiled a number of new features for the App Store in iOS 8, including a new "Explore" tab to enhance app discoverability, the ability for developers to offer discounted app bundles, and built-in beta testing functions.

The all-new Explore tab presents a continuously-scrolling view of app categories. Each category contains a list of its own top-selling apps and allows users to drill down.

The Explore tab also presents users with a new trending topics display, further enhancing discoverability.

Developers are now free to bundle apps together and offer discounts for users purchasing the entire bundle. In addition, developers can enhance app listings with videos.

Additionally, the company added a new Testflight public beta-testing service for developers. Testflight appears to be a product of Apple's Burstly acquisition.

Finally, iOS 8 introduces a new developer tool called Metal. Metal acts to abstract low-level OpenGL programming, allowing developers to more quickly write 3D apps.



4 Comments

1983 1225 comments · 12 Years

Apple finally taking app discoverability to a new level. I hope it'll genuinely help with this sticky issue.

hmurchison 11824 comments · 23 Years

They had me at continuous scrolling in the store.   Thank you. 

brlawyer 810 comments · 16 Years

The million-dollar question still stands: CAN I finally search for apps that do NOT offer crappy IAPs?