Hangouts 4.0 Lands on the iOS App Store

Posted by on Hangouts
Who loves new app features more than me? Oh, really? Want to fight about it? OK; agree to disagree. Which makes this all the more disappointing when my girlfriend was rubbing in my face that her iPhone 6 has the freshest Hangouts update and my Nexus 5 doesn't. She says that her Apple devices always get the latest version and "that's how it is."

I considered fighting her over it, but my better judgement told me not to. My research into the update history confirmed that she's (of course) right. You might remember about a year ago the iOS version of Hangouts got an awesome set of new features that Android didn't. Well, the trend continues for this round of updates for Google's chat app that is supposed to bring the platforms together. Google's got a game plan they're not telling us and we need to get to the bottom of it. To the Bat Cave! ;-)

So what's really to fuss about in this update? I'm glad you asked. Just for you, the nitty gritty details are below!
My girlfriend's screenshots often involve cats
As you can see from the above screens, the new look is gorgeous. The design of the buttons now have a cleaner feel and a faster way to share (along with the video message and favorites features Android is missing). For my like minded minimalists out there, you'll be drooling in no time.

The quick compose button is a another nice addition along with the new Dialer UI which shows off that Hangouts is more than just a chat app. You'll also notice the seamless attachment tool for pictures, videos, stickers, etc. When turned horizontally, Hangouts quickly goes full screen camera mode:
The original announcement post goes into further detail on what to expect with the new version along with more screenshot goodness (minus the cats):

Now, before my fellow Android fans start rioting in the street, check out Sky Ortiz's wording: "The Android update will be coming soon, so stay tuned." How soon is soon? Will it actually include video messaging and favorites for Android this time? Only time will tell.

It's one of the moves Google's gone with that's always puzzled me. Why do they do it this way? My best guess boils down to platform usage. iOS already has some great messenger options built in, so Google feels the need to stay competitive. What racks my brain is why they don't put the same time and effort into the Android version to keep it ahead of similar apps in the Play Store...

How much of this will make it to the Android version "coming soon"? Will it be similar to the update treatment the Hangouts Chrome App received recently? Please let us know in the comments on what you want to see in the next update!