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Tim Cook: We're "investing a ton" in the App Store with iOS 8 discoverability

Testflight integration, app bundles, and video previews

Tim Cook: We're "investing a ton" in the App Store with iOS 8 discoverability

Highlighting well known issues with app discovery, in his WWDC 2014 keynote, Apple CEO Tim Cook pointed to how the company was looking to improve the situation. 

"We're investing a ton in the App Store," Cook said, with trademark understatement and a wry smile.

First among these investments was the announcement of App Bundles, which allow developers and publishers to sell multiple apps and games together in a single-purchase bundle for a discounted price.

Such bundles have done well on Android in the past, but have - to date - remained unknown on the App Store.

Previews? Search me

The next big change to the App Store came in the form of search refinements.

iOS 8 users will be able to more effectively browse the App Store with deeper, scrolling 'Explore' searches and a new option for 'Trending Searches'.

Another new option developers will have access to in iOS 8 is the option to embed app Preview videos in an App Store listing.

App Store is getting video previews

These will allow users to get a better idea about how a game plays - something that Google Play already includes, of course. 

Still, this is welcome news for casual App Store browsers, and Cook also announced an exciting enhancement for the more invested mobile gaming faithful.

This comes in the form of TestFlight integration, which will allow developers to invite users to an open beta test of a game - for free - in iOS 8, and potentially reduce the need to soft launch the games in countries such as Canada and Australia. 

Unfortuantely, Cook didn't provide a firm timetable for iOS 8's release past "this fall" but we expect it'll roll out alongside the iPhone 6 in a few short months.

Special Features Editor