An all new version of Android Market is being rolled out, Redmond Pie has learned. Details and download link are available after the jump.
The news comes from Android Police – a blog dedicated to covering all things Android – in the form of a post in which they discuss the latest version of Market.
Numbered at 3.4.4, Market is now much, much faster. Initial start up takes less time, images load quicker and everything just feels snappy.
Besides this, the older “auto-add shortcuts” options under Settings has been replaced with “auto-add widgets”. Commenter ZZ over on Android Police’s post believes that this to “maintain consistency” going forward, since Ice Cream Sandwich treats app icons as 1×1 widgets.
From Android Police:
Google has started pushing out a new Market update with version 3.4.4, which upon quick inspection operates faster than before and brings a setting for auto-adding of widgets to your home screen.
I’ve tested the Market 3.4.4’s APK (link embedded below) on my Samsung Galaxy S II on Android 2.3.3 and confirm that it works as claimed. Android Police’s claim of the latest version “operating faster” are indeed true, as I found its performance to be dramatically improved over previous versions.
You now have two methods of getting Market 3.4.4 on your device: a. wait for Google to push it to your Android device or b. download the APK and install it on your device right now. If you’re like us, you’ll probably opt for method b as it is completely safe and reversible (in case something goes wrong).
Be sure to have Unknown sources enabled from Settings > Applications so you can sideload apps. Once downloaded, simply tap on the file to install it. You do not need a rooted device for this to work.
Be sure to let us know what you think of Market 3.4.4 in the comments section over on our Facebook page. We’re sure you’ll find it as fast as we did.
Download Market 3.4.4 [MultiUpload]
If Market 3.4.4 keeps crashing, clearing data from Settings > Applications > Manage > Market should do the trick.
Be sure to check out our Android Apps gallery to explore more apps for your Android device.
You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the web.
