Technology

Following the well-received launch of Apple Arcade, Google today is officially introducing its own take on subscription-based access to premium mobile games — or, in Googlecase, premium mobile apps, too. The new Google Play Pass subscription, arriving this week, will offer more than 350 apps and games that are completely unlocked, with no upfront fees, in-app purchases or advertisements. And the initial price point is something of a no-brainer — itjust $1.99 per month for the first year, Google says.

That price will increase to $4.99 per month after the first 12 months have passed, which is the same price as Apple Arcade at launch. This launch promotion is only available until October 10, 2019, however.

The two services are similar in concept, as both are providing a large library of premium content for a monthly subscription. But there are some differences between the two.

For starters, Apple Arcade is filled with exclusives — meaning its games will not be found on Andriod. The reverse is not true for Google Play Pass. Instead, the Play Pass catalog includes many cross-platform titles, including some that even found their fame first on iOS, like ustwoMonument Valley.

In addition, Play Passlaunch titles aren&t all games. There are also ad-free versions of popular mobile apps, like AccuWeather, Facetune and Pic Stitch, for example.

Notable launch titles include Stardew Valley, Risk, Terraria, Monument Valley, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Reigns: Game of Thrones, Titan Quest and Wayward Souls. Some lesser-known additions include LIMBO, Lichtspeer, Mini Metro and Old ManJourney. Others, like This War of Mine and Cytus, are coming soon. And for little kids, there are some preschooler-friendly titles like Toca Boca classics and the My Town series.

More titles are added on a monthly basis, Google says.

Because itnot relying on exclusives; Googlecatalog is more than triple the size of Appleat launch. That being said, AppleArcade library is filled with gorgeous, high-quality games while Play Pass is rounded out with a lot more utilities, like weather apps and photo editors.

Like Apple Arcade, the new subscription gets its own tab in the Google Play app, where the games are organized by genre, popularity and other factors — just like a mini app store. However, unlike Apple Arcade, where games are only found in the Arcade tab or through search, Google Play Pass titles will appear directly in the Play Store. They&ll be designated with a Play Pass ticket badge, so you can easily identify them.

The Play Pass subscription also allows the games to be shared with the whole family. The family manager can share their Play Pass subscription with up to five other family members, who can each access the titles independently. This is comparable to Apple Arcade.

We already knew Google was working on an Apple Arcade competitor before today. The Play Pass subscriptionexistence had been leaked, and Google later confirmed the service with a tweet. What we didn&t yet know was the launch date, lineup or the official pricing.

Google Play Pass service is rolling out this week to Android devices in the U.S., with more countries coming soon. A 10-day subscription is available, before it converts to the $1.99 per month limited promotion, followed by the $4.99 per month price point when the promotion ends.

While neither Apple nor Google is discussing the terms of their deals with developers, Google says the more people download a Play Pass title, the more the revenue developers receive on a recurring basis. It also explained that Google itself is funding the initial launch offer, so developers can gain more subscriber interest without impacting their revenue.

Apple and Oprah will be working together to bring OprahBook Club to the Apple TV+ streaming service. In a new series, the talk show host and producer will interview the authors of her book club picks, starting with Ta-Nehisi Coates, the author of &The Water Dancer.& A new episode will then be available every two months, allowing viewers time to read the titles being discussed.

The series will debut alongside Apple TV+launch on November 1, and is part of a larger, multi-year partnership Apple and Oprah announced last year. In addition to the book club, Oprah is also developing two documentaries for Apple: &Toxic Labor,& about sexual harassment in the workplace, and another, in partnership with Prince Harry, that will focus on mental health.

While the documentaries bring much-needed attention to worthy topics, OprahBook Club TV series will be mutually beneficial for both parties from more of a financial standpoint. Apple is promoting Oprahbook club selections in its Apple Books app, where &The Water Dancer& can now be pre-ordered as either an e-book or audiobook, for example. The TV show will then help to bring more attention to this and other titles, which in turn could boost book sales.

Apple also says it will make a contribution to the American Library Association to support local libraries and fund their programs.

As older readers may recall, OprahBook Club originally got its start as a recurring segment on &The Oprah Winfrey Show.& After a 15-year run, it relaunched in 2012 as a joint project between OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, and O: The Oprah Magazine. But those selections have been few and far between. With the launch on Apple TV+, it seems the club will be back on a more regular pace.

&Few people in the world can bring us together like Oprah, whose compassion and grace celebrating the power of books are unmatched,& said Tim Cook, AppleCEO, in a statement. &Itour honor to provide a new platform for OprahBook Club and support the American Library Association in opening hearts and minds to the joy of reading.&

&I am who I am today because of the experience of learning to read at an early age. Reading opened up a whole world for me beyond the red dirt road and my grandmotherporch in Mississippi,& Oprah Winfrey added, in a press release. &I want to do that for everybody. And the opportunity to do this with Apple, to speak to people all over the world about the pleasures, the excitement, the tension, the drama that a good book can bring you … I don&t know whatbetter than that.&

In addition to the OprahBook Club news this morning, Apple also gave last nightEmmy viewers a first look at several other upcoming Apple TV+ shows, including the Octavia Spencer-led drama &Truth Be Told,& and M. Night Shyamalanpsychological thriller &Servant.& Last week it showed off kids& shows &Ghostwriter& and &Helpsters.&

Therefashionably late and then therethe Galaxy Fold. Initially scheduled for an April 22 launch, the device was delayed after multiple reviews returned broken devices. Samsung was quick to blame users, only to ultimately go back to the drawing board.

A few months later, the company offered a broad September time frame. Samsung hit the mark with time to spare in its native South Korea, launching the device a few weeks back. Now ittime to do the same here in North America. The companyfirst foldable (and, really, for that matter, the first &commercially viable& foldable) arrives this Friday, September 27.

The handset will be available as a carrier-branded version through AT-T stores or unlocked through Best Buy and other retail locations. As noted, the companyalso offering a &Galaxy Fold Premier Service& — apparently part of the reason it canceled the original round of pre-orders. Basically the company wants to personally help users who buy the $2,000 foldable device.

Notably and somewhat humorously (albeit unintentionally so), the company recently issued a &Caring for your Galaxy Fold& video, which highlights how to not break the expensive new device. Samsung appears somewhat resigned to the fact that, although the device has been improved over the first attempt at going to market, the product is still more fragile than what we&ve come to expect from our smartphones.

To quote Samsung, &Just use a light touch.& That comes with the somewhat redundant, &Do not apply excessive pressure& footnote. Not exactly the sort of thing that inspires confidence in a productdurability.