Google unveils gorgeous new version of Currents, its Flipboard competitor

[UPDATED December 12, 4:47 PST to reflect the fact that Google updated the Android version of its app but not yet the iOS version]

Google announced a major update to Google Currents, its Flipboard/Pulse competitor, today.

Currents is essentially a mobile magazine-in-app-form for smartphones and tablets, with publications such as the LA Times, Forbes, and The Guardian providing content that Currents displays in a simple, elegant interface — similar to what Flipboard and Pulse to for your RSS feeds, social accounts, and more.

One of the new Currents features is better categories that allow you to view stories across multiple publications in a single group, such as sports or entertainment. The feature also helps viewers quickly see the top story from each news source.

Other updates include the ability to view only breaking stories, which Google says uses some of the company’s search technology to find the most recent information that’s customized to your country and language. (Sorting by region would be nice too: the U.S. and other countries are big, after all). Currents also now allows users to see the top headlines from each publication on a single screen.

Just like Flipboard and Pulse, users can share content on social networks from within the Currents app. Unsurprisingly, Google+ and Gmail are the preferred sharing methods although with an extra tap you can share to Twitter, Facebook, and a variety of other networks and apps. The app is simply gorgeous, with a simple, very visual interface.

Google says millions of users have downloaded and installed the app, and over 700 publications have create a specific edition for Currents, in addition to tens of thousands of user-made mix-and-match editions.