In the past year, Android users around the world have installed more than 65 billion apps on Google Play, and developers like you are building those apps. To help developers continue to build great experiences on Android, we announced at Google I/O a number of new features we’re bringing to the platform, Including the next preview of Android N, Android Virtual reality extensions, Android Studio updates, and more!






Android N: Performance, efficiency, and security

With Android N, we wanted to take Android, which has always been great, to the next level, so we made some big changes to the platform, rewriting and designing some of the underlying mechanics of how the system works.

For Android N, our development efforts revolve around three major themes: performance, efficiency, and security. The first version of Developer Preview (detailed here) includes a new JIT compiler to improve software performance, speed up application installation, and reduce storage footprint. The second version of N Developer Preview (detailed here) introduces a new 3D rendering API, Vulkan, to help game developers achieve great graphics performance on mobile devices. Both previews bring substantial efficiency improvements to Android, including multi-window support and direct reply.



▲ Multi-window mode on Android N

Android N also introduces some important new features for a more secure and reliable user experience. Inspired by the way Chromebook apps are updated, we launched
Seamless update, enabling new Android devices based on Android N to install system updates in the background. This means that the next time a user boots up their device, the new device can automatically and seamlessly switch to the newly updated system image.

The just released Android N Developer Preview 3 is our first beta quality candidate for testing on your primary phone or tablet. You can opt in to the Android Beta program and download it on your Nexus 6, 9, 5X, 6P, Nexus Player, Pixel C and Android One (General Mobile 4G) at android.com/beta Run Android N on. By inviting more people to try out the beta, developers can expect an uptick in usage of their apps on Android N; If you’ve developed an Android app, you should test its health on Android N and pay attention to feedback from users.



Bring aboutAndroid N Developer Preview is now available for trial on a variety of devices

VR mode in Android

Android was designed for today’s multi-screen world; In fact, Android can power your phone, tablet, and wrist watch, and even work in your car and living room, always helping you seamlessly switch between devices.

As we look to the future, we believe that your mobile phone can be powerful enough to allow you to view the world in new ways and experience new products virtually in a more immersive and realistic way; However, until then, high-quality mobile VR will not be available through the Android ecosystem. That’s why, in Android N, we’ve overhauled all levels of the Android stack, from how the operating system reads sensor data to how it sends pixel data to the display, specifically designed to deliver a high-quality mobile VR experience using VR mode in Android.

The new version offers a number of performance enhancements for developers, including single-buffer rendering and allowing VR apps to access a dedicated CPU core. In your application, you can enjoy smooth head tracking and stereo notification features designed for VR.

Most importantly, Android N’s graphics latency is extremely low. In fact, on Nexus 6P devices running Developer Preview 3, the latency from motion to presentation is less than 20 milliseconds, which is fast enough to create an immersive, lifelike experience for the user.






Android Search-ready Apps: Search-ready apps that require no installation



We want to make it easier for users to discover and use your application. What if your application is just a click away? What if users can use your application without even having to install it?

We launched the Android Ready-to-use app as part of our ongoing thinking about how to improve the way apps behave. Whether people discover your app through search, social media, messaging, or other deep links, they can experience fast and powerful Android native apps without having to stop their activities and install your app or re-authenticate their identity.

Best of all, the Android Ready-to-search app is compatible with all Android devices running Jellybean or higher (4.1+) and running Google Play services. Android Ready-to-use apps is an update to an existing Android app, not a new standalone app. You can sign up for early Access and get documentation.

To apply for a rescue experience, please visit:

developer.android.com/topic/instant-apps/index.html
Android Wear 2.0: UI changes and standalone appsAt Google I/O, we also announced the most significant update to Android Wear since its launch two years ago: Android Wear 2.0. Based on the feedback we’ve received from users and developers, we’re working to improve the platform and enhance the key watch experience: dial, messaging and fitness. We’ve also made a number of UI changes and updated our design guidelines to make your apps more consistent, intuitive, and beautiful. With Android Wear 2.0, apps can be standalone and have direct network access to the cloud via Bluetooth, WLAN, or cellular connections. Because your application no longer has to rely on the data layer API, your application can be fully functional even if the paired phone is far away or turned off.







Android Studio 2.2 Preview: a new layout designer, constraint layout, and more.

Android Studio is the fastest way to get started and actually experience Android N and all the new features of the new platform. At Google I/O, we previewed Android Studio 2.2 (see here for more details), another major update to the IDE designed to help you write code faster with new smart tools built into it.

One of the most impressive features is our redesigned layout designer and new constraint layout. In addition to helping you take advantage of XML to intuitively design layouts, the new tools also help you easily design applications for many great Android devices. Once you’re happy with a layout, we do all the tedious work for you, automatically calculating layout constraints for you, and allowing your UI to automatically resize on different screen sizes.

Here’s an overview of some of the new features in 2.2 Preview:


  • Speed: New layout designer and constraint layout, Espresso test record and faster compilation

  • Intelligence: APK analyzer, layout checker, extended Android code analysis, and IntelliJ 2016.1

  • Platform support: enhanced Jack compiler /Java 8 support, extended C++ support (support for C++ and ndk-build), Firebase support and enhanced accessibility tools




Bring aboutNew layout editor and constraint layout in Android Studio 2.2 Preview

Developers! We are eager to see your masterpiece!

Android Developer Blog: 

android-developers.blogspot.com

Chinese Google Developer Community Forum (end of article“Read the original“) :

chinagdg.com/thread-32320-1-1.html

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