Back in May, Google revealed exciting new developments during the keynote of their 10th I/O developer conference in San Francisco, including Android Wear 2.0, Google Home, Google Daydream, Android N, and there was also the low-down on the new Allo and Duo apps, and much more. Here’s the run down on the most significant developments to the app world.
Android N
Android N will offer improved performance, streamlined notifications, better management of battery life, and 72 new emojis, because who doesn’t love emojis? There is also the development of Instant Apps, which will allow users to access apps without having to download the whole of an app first, but instead only the part necessary to view the specific information they’re after, all the whilst being much easier to navigate than a mobile website. A preview is now available, and the full version is expected later this summer.
The naming of Android N has been left to the public. You can submit your suggestion here.
Allo
Allo is Google’s new messaging app. With a built-in AI assistant, it can scan your incoming texts and picture messages to suggest appropriate responses. It will also follow your conversations, making suggestions of relevant services as it goes. Users will then have the option to use these suggestions, and the option to send such information to their recipient.
Allo is up against chat app giants WhatsApp and Messenger, as well as your regular SMS service. It will be interesting to see how Google plan to make it the must-have chat app, but one thing that will help is its unique use of an Incognito function, utilising end-to-end encryption, private notifications, and message expiration, meaning a conversation will be deleted on shutting down.
Duo
Allo’s trusty video companion, Duo enables one-to-one video calling, and features a unique ‘Knock Knock’ option, enabling users to view a stream of their incoming caller before answering, allowing for a safe and more assured user experience. The app will be available for Android and iOS, and will compete with the universally known FaceTime.
What else was revealed?
Google Home is a voice-activated speaker which you can instruct to play music, get cinema tickets, retrieve traffic reports, and much more.
Google’s VR platform Daydream will give users access to movies, games, music, apps, and the Google Play Store, embracing both hardware and software within an eco-dynamic display.
Android Wear 2.0 was presented, with an ability to customise watch faces, and also displaying data from other apps as small widgets, as well being able to function without connecting to a smartphone app.
Cloud services provider, Firebase, which Google acquired several years ago, is being made available to everyone with a free plan, which will allow for mobile app developers to easily distribute, supporting all Android, iOS and web apps.
Android apps will also soon be available from the Google Play Store on Chrome OS machines, meaning that Google’s two operating systems are soon to be working alongside one another.
Do you have an app that you envision being developed? Why not get in touch, and find out how we can help it materialise.
Tradebox Media are an award-winning software development agency based in Cardiff, UK.