Google Play gets a fresh look - but shows fewer apps per screen - in new update

This week, Google has given its Google Play Store an interface overhaul, and booted 60,000 scam apps from its virtual shop shelves.

The redesign of the digital store is mostly cosmetic. Google has ditched the dark theme and poky icons of the old shop in favour of white backgrounds and enormous app images.

But, as is the case with the 'new-look' iOS App Store, this overhauled Google Play interface results in far less information being shown on one screen at a time.

On a typical 'droid phone, the Top Paid section used to show about 14 apps at once. Now, however, just nine fit on the screen.

Elsewhere, you'll find that the installation process has been streamlined (meaning free apps, especially, are even easier to download and install), and in-app purchases no longer boot you back to the Store.

The Google Play update is live in the US now, and will be rolling out around the world "over the next few weeks".

This update was - according to TechCrunch - directly preceded by Google banning 60,000 low-quality spam apps from the store (almost 10 percent of the total app catalogue).