The 5 Biggest Takeaways from Google I/O

By Thomas Karam

At Google I/O, the company’s developer conference, yesterday’s keynote covered many new and existing services and platforms. While developers wait with bated breath for the preview of ‘L’, Androids next step forward with their operating system, here are some of the key Android takeaways from the keynote.

1. Preview of Android L

Android’s next version, so far only referred to as ‘L’, was on display during the keynote. Interestingly Google eschewed giving a codename to the next release, foregoing the usual dessert name theme, at least for now.

The biggest change for end users and developers will be Android L’s overhaul of Android’s UI, material design. With material design, Google is using material as a metaphor for the unifying principal of its UI. Additionally, there is a heavy emphasis on motion and depth.

This design change isn’t limited to Android. Google is moving towards material designs regardless of the platform, as seen by their UI toolkit for the web, Polymer.

Android L also will replace Android’s traditional runtime, Dalvik, with ART. Introduced in KitKat as an experimental feature, ART uses ahead-of-time processing to pre-compile bytecode to machine language. This means faster runtimes, and during the keynote Google claimed it offered up to 2x performance gains. If true, this will mean a significant improvement in performance for developers.

With L touted as the biggest update yet to Android, with over 5,000 new APIs, developers are obviously eager to get their hands on it. Luckily a preview has been released to developers today. Stay tuned for more as we dig further into what L has to offer.

2. Android Wear

As expected, Android Wear was heavily featured during the keynote. Versions of smart watches from LG, Samsung and Motorola were featured.

Wear looks to extend Android’s presence to your wrist by providing Google Now-style information, notifications from your applications, voice control via the familiar “Ok Google” command and the ability to control Android apps on your phone from your wrist.

3. Android Auto and TV

In a recurring theme from the keynote of Android everywhere, Android Auto and Android TV were announced. The SDK for Auto will allow developers to write apps that extend out from the phone to a car’s display and controls. The interface for Android Auto is tailored to the driving experience, with larger, easier-to-use on-screen controls and Android’s customary voice controls.

Similarly, Android TV looks to bring Android to your television, allowing developers to write apps for your smart TV. Android TV also will allow users to search and use voice commands. It will include Google Cast, allowing TV’s with Android TV to “cast” content from devices like phones, laptops and tablets in the same manner as Chromecast.

4. Android with Google Fit

To match Apple’s WWDC announcement of HealthKit, Google announced Google Fit. Like HealthKit, Fit’s SDK will expose APIs to help developers write health and fitness applications. The goal is to make it easier for developers to discover sensors, collect activity data and keep track of users’ fitness history.

5. Lack of Glass

After being announced two conferences ago, Glass was not featured heavily in last year’s I/O. This year, Glass didn’t even make an appearance during the keynote. Even more surprising was that no one featured during the keynote wore Glass.

This might not mean Glass is doomed, but it is significant to note its absence at Google’s premier event. While developers continue to wait for a platform to distribute Glassware, Google has created Glass at Work, indicating a push to businesses and the enterprise. Perhaps Glass still requires more incubation time for consumers, and maybe at next year’s I/O Glass can again step into the spotlight.

For more, check out Applico CTO Matt Powers on what you need to know about iOS8.

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Filed under: Product Engineering | Topics: android, android developers, Android Wear, Google, Google Glass, I/O, Wearables