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Latest Version of Google Play Now Available – Should Work on Your Budget Tablet

For the longest time now I’ve been sharing an easy way to add Android Market to budget tablets, but in all that time I’ve never been able to help users get access to the latest content (movies, magazines) because the app didn’t support it and I didn’t know a way to trick Google into letting me have a later version of the app.

Today that changes.

A helpful hacker over at XDA Forums just posted a copy of the latest version of Google Play. This is the version that Google unveiled last week with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, so it truly is the latest.

I’ve just installed it on the Ematic XL Pro II Android Tablet I’m reviewing right now. The install process was slightly complicated but it worked. You should seriously consider trying it.

You can find the install file over at XDA Forums. Copy the APK to your Android tablet over a USB cable. Then unplug your tablet, turn it on, and find the APK in a file manager.

Note that there is some risk involved. The first thing I had to do to install the new version of Google Play was delete the older Android Market app that I installed over the weekend. They’re not compatible, and my tablet declined to install the new app on top of the old. Considering that I didn’t know that I would succeed, that was fairly risky. You might not want to take the same risk.

But if you got Android Market using one of the sets of instructions I posted then trying to install gPlay is probably going to work. And if it doesn’t you should be able to reinstall the older Android Market.

Worse comes to worst, you can always do a factory reset and try again.

Update: And it looks like I will have to do that reset. Google Play has stopped working on my Ematics tablet.

XDA Forums

 

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Comments


Cilla July 12, 2012 um 3:30 am

Hello Nate,
did you ever get the Jelly Bean Google Play to work on any of your tablet’s .I have the Polaroid Ice Cream Sandwhich 4.0 tablet and would like to try this if it work’s .also do i need any of the previous files like the Installer or Signature apk from your previous android marketplace post.


cilla August 7, 2012 um 3:25 pm

Hello Nate did you get the new google play to work on the polaroid 4.0 tablet yet…also do you know if a usb headset with mic would work on this tablet.hope to hear from you soon.

Nate Hoffelder August 7, 2012 um 3:51 pm

No. It installed but wouldn’t run properly.


cilla August 7, 2012 um 10:15 pm

Ok thank you for getting back with me.


Cilla August 8, 2012 um 4:25 am

Helo Nate,
do you know if a usb headset with mic would work on this tablet as internal mic is to low..hope to hear from you soon.enjoy your website


Bryona December 18, 2012 um 10:34 am

Hey Nate,

What if your Ematic uns on •Google Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) OS? Can you just download the Google Play app from the google play site>?

Nate Hoffelder December 18, 2012 um 10:37 am

No. Google won’t let you.


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