Photos: Auto Everything
The recent updates to Google+ Photos have been all about making things automatic. Pictures are now improved as they're uploaded thanks to Auto Enhance, and even made into animated gifs and other fun combinations using the aptly-if-somewhat-annoyingly named Auto Awesome. The best photos (based on smiling faces, lack of blur, good exposure) are selected and presented first thanks to Auto Highlight. Instant Upload has undergone a rebranding to "Auto Backup" in order to fit this theme.
However, not every photo change is made instantly. The new Google+ app also incorporates filters, effects, and tools from Snapseed. From the screenshots, it appears that these features have been taken from the Snapseed app with little to no changes in UI, so if you've been using Snapseed you should be right at home.
Location: Latitude, but with Plus
It seems that the long-expected merging of Latitude and Plus has finally occurred with the latest update. Users can now select the "Location" section for a map of friends who have chosen to share their location with that person. It's important to note that just like in Latitude, this feature is opt-in, and only shares your location with the circles you've selected. It should prove useful for close friends and family - though each user will have to decide for themselves who they want knowing about their Friday night adventures.
Stream: Related Hashtags #ftw
The really nifty Related Hashtags feature announced last week is coming to the app, and not a moment too soon. If you missed it, Google+ will automatically apply hashtags that are related to your post, allowing users to discover new content simply by clicking on it. In my experience this has been awesome for finding different versions of the same story from various sources, and for discovering more about new topics that I don't know much about. It's a really neat extension of the Interest Graph - so having it on Android is a welcome addition.
Notifications, Hangouts, and More:
We're still waiting to get our hands on the new app at GPD central, but the official announcement assures us that more improvements are on the way. Notably, the screenshots show a link to Hangouts directly from the app and the "Apps" link is gone. Bradley has also stated that there are improvements to notifications, so we'll get some screenshots as soon as we can.
If you're waiting for the iOS version, never fear: Googler +Austin Chang has stated that the iOS app with these improvements should be out later this week.
What are you most excited about in the new Android App? Let us know in the comments!
Source: The Google Plus Project Blog