Alongside all of these, the company also announced updates for their Android platform and Google Play. Currently, there are north of 2 million active Android devices and over 100 million are already equipped with Google Assistant. “It’s been a busy three days in Mountain View, as more than 7,000 developers joined us at Shoreline Amphitheatre for this year’s Google I/O,” Emily Wood, Editor of Google’s blog, wrote. While most of the announcements during the Google I/O 2017 were developer-oriented, we’ve compiled a list of the ones which will add to your user-experience.
13 Crucial Announcements About Android
Android on Smartphones
The preview is already out, but Android ‘O’ will see a mass roll out later this year and its highlights include a better battery life and performance.Android O also gets a picture-in-picture view, which will enable users to use two apps simultaneously.Emoji on Android are going through a revamp — expect a freshly baked batch on Android O.Google Play Protect, which isn’t an Android ‘O’-specific feature, has been rolled out by the company. It is an additional layer of security to your Android device and protects against real-time threats.Find My Device app has also been rolled out as part of Google Play Protect, enables you to locate, ring, lock and erase your device remotely.Google is also testing Android ‘Go’, which is a scaled-down version of the upcoming Android ‘O’ and will power devices with lower hardware specs — to enable a smoother user experience.Developers are getting the support of TensorFlowLite — a neural network API which will help app developers to integrate machine learning. This is aimed to enhance user experience as things become more automated on Android.You’ll now also be seeing an increased number of Instant Apps on Android — which do not require any installation to run — as the programme is now open to all developers.
Google Photos, Android TV, Wearables, and Auto
Android has been growing in the automobile ecosphere as well as it is now supported by more 300 car models and two more — Audi and Volvo — have been recently added to the list.As Android TV users have grown several million in numbers in the past year, the company has announced a refreshed home screen for the Android TV.Android Wear has now more than 50 partner brands including the new additions — Emporio Armani, Movado, and New Balance.Sharing on Google Photos becomes easier as the new update will allow users to share an entire library with a specific person. You can also share photos of a certain person or photos from a certain date.A U.S.-only feature. Users can now curate 20-page-long Photo Books from Google Photos albums which can then be printed for $9.99 (soft cover) and $.19.99 (hard cover).
“Android brings the power of computing to many screens in your life — from watches to TVs and beyond. We’re excited about the momentum we’re seeing in these new Android platforms too,” the company added. As Google Home and Google Assistant become more sophisticated in nature and are able to understand and execute more complex tasks, they’re finding increased utility in the world of the Internet of Things — being dubbed as Android Things by Google.
