Looks like that slide-out navigation drawer isn't the only new feature that's buried within version 4.4 of the Google Play Store. After diving into the Play Store version 4.4 APK, the folks over at Android Police have found several references to "Google Play Newsstand," which is thought to be the new name for the "Google Play News" feature that first leaked out way back in March.

According to the leaked information, Google Play Newsstand will house both newspapers and magazines and will offer free trial subscriptions. Included with the APK are several references to a dedicated "Play Newsstand" app as well as some indications that the app could end up replacing the existing Play Magazines app. The APK also contains the introductory text that will appear when a user first opens Google Play Newsstand, which reads as follows: "Your favorite magazines and news are right here on Google Play. Pick up the latest issues or try out a free trial subscription. Read instantly with the Play Newsstand app, even offline."

As I mentioned before, rumors of a newspaper section in the Google Play Store have been floating around since March. This new leak is the first we've heard about the feature since then, though, and these new references to "Google Play Newsstand" in the Play Store v4.4 APK seems to suggest that an actual launch could be getting close. It seems kind of strange that Google Play has been around as long as it has without any sort of dedicated newspaper section like iOS's Newsstand, but the good news for people that love both Android and print news is that it looks like Google will be filling that void soon.

Via Android Police