Alphabet’s (GOOGL Quick QuoteGOOGL - Free Report) Google is adding a Sports widget to its Google app, providing a comprehensive view of teams' upcoming, live, or past matches.

Further, the widget boasts features like a Knowledge Graph card, resizing for enhanced visibility, a “Last updated” notification feature, and separate sections for “Your games” and “Trending games.”

Additionally, the widget offers a “Recommendations” feature to provide users with games, teams, and league choices based on their search activity.

Alphabet is expected to gain solid traction across Android users on the back of its latest move.

Moreover, this new expansion on the Search app will bolster Google’s search business.

Expanding Android Offerings

Apart from the latest move, Google recently introduced a notification feature to its earlier added birthday reminder feature for Google Contacts, allowing users to receive notifications for any "Significant date" added to their contacts through the overflow menu or by scrolling down the bottom.

Further, users can create new reminders with birthdays, anniversaries and custom labels with increments available two days, seven days and two weeks before.

Additionally, Google added new features to its Google Messages app, including a "plus" shortcut, offering Android users a redesign, including a left-facing compose field and an emoji shortcut, along with Magic Compose, a new Gallery icon, and a plus menu at the right.

Also, Alphabet introduced an Individual Contact Android widget for Google Contacts, which allows users to customize their profile image, calling and messaging shortcuts, and contact names.

Moreover, the company added local time and weather information to entries with addresses on Google Contacts. The feature displays the city, current time, temperature and condition visually and textually.

Wrapping Up

We believe that all the above-mentioned endeavors will likely strengthen Alphabet’s Android offerings, which, in turn, will boost its Google Services segment, which accounts for the majority of total revenues.

In third-quarter 2023, Google Services’ revenues increased 10.8% year over year to $67.99 billion, accounting for 88.6% of total revenues.

Our model projects fourth-quarter 2023 Google Services revenues at $72.79 billion, indicating growth of 7.3% from 2022.

Strength in the underlined segment will likely aid its overall financial performance in the upcoming period. This, in turn, will instill investor optimism in the stock.

Our model estimate for fourth-quarter 2023 total revenues is pegged at $81.95 billion, indicating year-over-year growth of 7.8%.

Alphabet has gained 48.5% on a year-to-date basis compared with the industry’s rise of 47.6%.

Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider

Currently, Alphabet carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks in the broader technology sector are Badger Meter (BMI Quick QuoteBMI - Free Report) , Arista Networks (ANET Quick QuoteANET - Free Report) and Adobe (ADBE Quick QuoteADBE - Free Report) . While Badger Meter sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Arista Networks and Adobe carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Shares of Badger Meter have gained 37.1% in the year-to-date period. BMI’s long-term earnings growth rate is currently projected at 20.39%.

Shares of Arista Networks have surged 77.8% in the year-to-date period. The long-term earnings growth rate for ANET is currently projected at 19.77%.

Shares of Adobe have gained 84.3% in the year-to-date period. ADBE’s long-term earnings growth rate is currently projected at 13.54%.