Google Play Launches Web Reader for Subscription Magazines

Consumers without access to smartphones or tablets (whether temporarily or enduringly) are often barred from viewing digital magazine content on desktop computers, even after

Consumers without access to smartphones or tablets (whether temporarily or enduringly) are often barred from viewing digital magazine content on desktop computers, even after purchasing a subscription. But Google may have solved that very needless deliverability problem.This week, Google Play launched a Web Reader for its digital magazines (which themselves are a new feature, dating back to June of this year).  After purchasing a subscription, readers can launch the Web Reader, which has a sidebar detailing the various sections of a magazine, zoom controls, and a full screen button.

The Web Reader is only available through Google’s Chrome browser (which you can get here). But the new feature allows prospects to search, subscribe and read digital magazines via Android tablets, smartphones, and in the Google Chrome browser. And while the tablet/mobile and Web reading environments aren’t synced, Google says it plans on adding that functionality soon.Lastly, while magazines are pretty new to the Google Play store, the selection is quite impressive, with major titles from Hearst, Condé Nast, Meredith, Bonnier, and others. Google estimates that only 10% of their titles are currently “interactive” (vs. digital replicas), but that’s bound to change, and as it does, consumers are likely to embrace platforms that allow for interactive and seamless reading between devices.

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