Google Music Released For iOS

9to5Mac:

As for the iOS app, it plays on Bluetooth, Chromecast and AirPlay and streams music almost instantaneously over a good connection. Appearance-wise, it is a mix between Google’s iOS UI, Apple’s iOS 7 UI and the design language of the Android Play Music Store. It works well but isn’t going to win any design awards. Because of Apple’s siloed file system approach, you won’t be able to play iTunes music on Google’s Music app or vice versa and if you actually want to buy individual music you’ll have to open a browser because of Apple’s 30% rule.

Sadly, it’s a bad port. Whilst it does seem to be written in iOS’s native application frameworks, it doesn’t feel like an iOS app. It uses Android icon assets and Android pagination controls. This is a benefit to people who predominantly use an Android device for consistency reasons, but for me (and others who are firmly in the Apple software ecosystem) it’s a big negative.

Also, the app isn’t linked against the iOS 7 SDK, which means you have to make do with the iOS 6 keyboard when searching for a song.