“Google previews the next big refresh of the Android mobile platform”
Up until now, the Google I/O annual developer conference usually offers the latest Android build, available soon thereafter on Nexus and Play Edition devices. This time however, the Mountain View major used the event to showcase some of the major changes the next big release of the world’s most popular mobile OS will bring. Google’s been using names of desserts to label the major versions in alphabetical order – so after KitKat, a moniker with the letter ‘L’ was next in line.
We don’t know what that ‘L’ will eventually stand for, but we do know that it will land in fall, and will boast a significant overhaul in terms of design and capabilities. The visual cues will now focus on what Google calls ‘Material Design’, a visual language that will ensure a more consistent UI across Android, Chrome OS and the web, and spread the same goodness on any device you use, regardless of screen size.
The new UI will also be easier to use, feature smooth, intuitive animations such ripple effects, and be able to use real-time shadows and depth values to create a sense of depth.
Visual changes apart, notifications will also receive a massive refresh, appearing directly on the lockscreen where you can interact with them. Sorted by importance, some of the key ones will appear as heads-up notifications, popping up over the app you may be currently using. Another handy feature will allow developers to point links to apps instead of web pages – a search for movie listings taking you to the corresponding option in a ticket booking app, for example.
Trusted environments will be another new aspect of the upcoming platform, building a layer of convenience whilst ensuring security isn’t compromised. One of the examples of this could be unrestricted access to your Android device when a paired Android Wear smartwatch is close by, but enabling deeper security when it’s not.
Performance is always a vital area of improvement for not just Android, but pretty much all OS updates, and the L-release will be tackling this by using the ART runtime exclusively. ART debuted for developers with KitKat, but will show its real capabilities in the next release.
Everything from app load times to battery life should see a significant boost. There’s a new battery saver in there too, should you need it.
The above is just the top of the iceberg apparently, since the L-release will open up about 5,000 new APIs to developers, giving them even more power to be as creative and innovative as possible. The preview of the new build will be available to developers right away, while mere mortals like us will need to wait till fall for the final release. It sure looks like the wait will be worth it though.
