Google I/O 2018: What’S Novel Inwards Android

Posted By Stephanie Cuthbertson, Product Management Director, Android

As Android has grown exponentially over the past times x years, we've also seen our developer community grow dramatically. In countries similar China, India, too Brazil, the issue of developers using our IDE almost tripled - inwards simply 2 years. With such growth, nosotros experience an fifty-fifty greater responsibleness to invest inwards our developer experience. Guided past times your feedback, we've focused our efforts on making mobile evolution fast too easy, helping yous teach to a greater extent than users past times making apps radically smaller, too increasing engagement to maintain users coming back. We're also pretty excited to run into Android Things become to 1.0, creating novel opportunities for yous to develop - everything from major consumer devices, to cool remote command vehicles! As Day 1 of Google I/O kicks off, let's cause got a closer await at these major themes from the Developer Keynote:

Development: making mobile evolution fast too easy

Android Jetpack — Today, nosotros announced Android Jetpack, designed to accelerate your app development. Android Jetpack is the side past times side generation of Android components, bringing together the benefits of the Support Library -- backwards compatibility too immediate updates -- to a larger laid of components, making it quick too slow to create robust, high character apps. Android Jetpack manages activities similar background tasks, navigation, too lifecycle management, then yous tin eliminate boilerplate code too focus on what makes your app great. Android Jetpack is designed to run good amongst Kotlin, saving yous fifty-fifty to a greater extent than code amongst Android KTX. The novel Android Jetpack components released today include WorkManager, Paging, Navigation, too Slices.

Kotlin — Since announcing back upwards for Kotlin concluding year, the developer community has embraced the language. Most importantly, 95% of developers say us they are really happy amongst using Kotlin for their Android development. And, the to a greater extent than developers exercise it, the to a greater extent than that issue rises. The issue of Play Store apps using Kotlin grew 6x inwards the concluding year. 35% of pro developers exercise it, too that issue is growing each month. We are continuing to better the Kotlin developer experience across our libraries, tooling, runtime, documentation too training. Android KTX is launching today equally role of Android Jetpack to optimize the Kotlin developer experience. Tooling continues to better amongst Android Studio, Lint support, too R8 optimizations. We cause got fifty-fifty tuned the Android Runtime (ART) inwards Android P, then that apps built amongst Kotlin tin run faster. We cause got rolled out Kotlin code snippets inwards our official documentation, too are publishing a Kotlin version of the API reference documentation today. Earlier this week, nosotros launched a novel Kotlin Bootcamp on Udacity, which is a neat resources for developers who are novel to Kotlin. Lastly, nosotros similar a shot cause got a Kotlin specialization inwards the Google Developers Experts Program. If yous nevertheless haven't used Kotlin, I promise yous you give it a try.
Android Studio 3.2 Canary — Android Studio 3.2 features tools for Android Jetpack including a visual Navigation Editor too novel code refactoring tools. The canary unloose also includes create tools to create the novel Android App Bundle format, Snapshots inwards the Android Emulator for fast showtime time, novel R8 optimizer for smaller download too install app code size, a novel Energy Profiler to stair out app acquit on on battery life, too more. You tin download the latest version of Android Studio 3.2 from the canary channel download page.

Distribution: making apps radically smaller

Android App Bundle & Google Play Dynamic Delivery — Introducing the novel app model for Android. Dramatically bring down app size amongst a novel publishing format—the Android App Bundle. In Android Studio, you'll similar a shot create an app bundle that contains everything your app needs for whatsoever device—all the languages, every device covert size, every hardware architecture. Then, when a user downloads your app, Google Play's novel Dynamic Delivery volition only deliver the code too resources matching the user's device. People run into a smaller install size on the Play Store, tin download your app to a greater extent than quickly, too relieve infinite on their devices.
(Left) An example of all resources beingness delivered to a device via a legacy APK.
(Right) An example of Dynamic Delivery serving simply what’s needed to a device.
Dynamic features via the Android App Bundle — The Android App Bundle also enables modularization then that yous tin deliver features on-demand, instead of during install. You tin create dynamic characteristic modules inwards the latest Android Studio canary release. Join our beta program to release them on Google Play.
Google Play Console — New features too reports inwards the Read most the improvements to the dashboard, statistics, Android vitals, pre-launch report, acquisition report, too subscriptions dashboard. You tin also upload, test, too release apps using our novel publishing format, the Android App Bundle.
Google Play Instant — After launching inwards beta at GDC, today nosotros announced that all game developers tin create instant apps too we're thrilled to welcome Universal App campaigns.

Engagement: bringing users dorsum to a greater extent than too more.

Slices — Slices are UI templates that display a rich array of dynamic, too interactive content from your app, across Android too inside Google surfaces. Slices tin include live-data, scrolling content, inline actions, too deep-linking into your app then users tin practice everything from playing music to checking reservation updates. Slices tin also comprise interactive controls similar toggles too sliders. You tin get started edifice Slices today, too they volition start out appearing for users soon.

As Android has grown exponentially over the past times x years Google I/O 2018: What’s novel inwards Android

Actions — Actions are a novel way to brand your app's capabilities too content to a greater extent than accessible, then that people tin easily teach to it at the correct moment. App Actions volition seem to users based on usage too relevance, across multiple Google too Android surfaces, such equally the Google Search App, the Play Store, the Google Assistant, too the Launcher. App Actions volition move available for all developers to assay soon, delight sign upwards here if you'd similar to move notified. You tin also select to create a Conversational Action equally a companion experience to your app. This plant on a multifariousness of Assistant-enabled devices, such equally speakers too smart displays. Both types of Actions exercise a novel mutual catalog of intents.

Smarter devices: a powerful platform for IoT devices

Android Things 1.0 — Assistant-enabled products powered past times Android Things. Android Things 1.0 this week. Four novel System-on-Modules (SoMs) are similar a shot supported on the platform amongst guaranteed long-term back upwards for 3 years too additional options for extended support, making it easier to become from prototypes to production. To brand production evolution to a greater extent than seamless than ever, the accompanying Android Things Console is also ready for production. It helps developers easily deal too update their devices amongst the latest stability fixes too safety updates provided past times Google.

To teach started amongst Android Things, see our developer site too the novel Community Hub to explore kits, sample code, community projects, too bring together Google's IoT Developers Community to remain updated. We introduced a express programme to partner amongst the Android Things squad for technical guidance too back upwards edifice your product. If your companionship is interested, sign upwards for our OEM Partner Program.
In add-on to all these novel developments, we're on the basis inwards over 140 countries, growing too expanding the developer community through programs such equally Women Techmakers too Google Developer Groups (GDGs). We're investing inwards preparation programs similar Google Developers Certification, edifice to a greater extent than courses through Udacity too other partners, to assist developers deepen their technical capability. Today, 225 Google Developers Agency Program members from 50 agencies inwards xv countries, are Android Certified. As role of our Google Developers Experts Program, nosotros also similar a shot cause got to a greater extent than than 90 Android Developer Experts some the basis actively supporting developers, start-ups too companies to create too launch innovative apps.
We also choke on to recognize the neat run from give app too game developers. This year, nosotros held our 3rd annual Google Play Awards. The nominees correspond some of the best experiences available on Android, amongst an emphasis on overall quality, potent design, technical performance, too innovation. Check out the winners too nominees.
During Google I/O, attendees too viewers cause got an chance to dive deep amongst 48 Android & Play breakout sessions. Thank yous for all your wonderful feedback, too delight maintain giving us your advice on where nosotros should become next.