The primary day of Google I/O 2016 carried out, and we’ve the complete recap proper right here.
It doesn’t matter what path your fascination with Google merchandise goes down, you have been capable of finding one thing to love out of the primary day of Google I/O 2016. We noticed many recaps of options that have been introduced, confirmations of issues that have been rumored, and some out-of-left-field product bulletins that caught us off guard.
Whether or not you are desirous about Google as an entire, Android, apps, providers or simply the way it all works collectively, we now have you coated right here with a full recap of the primary day of Google I/O 2016. Learn on.
Google Assistant
What initially felt like a brand new model of Google Now turned out to be a reasonably darn large announcement. Google Assistant is a brand new platform that Google’s going to make use of in so many merchandise going ahead for all types of contextual search, deep evaluation of your info and tailoring Google’s app experiences to your each want. We’re completely simply hitting the tip of the iceberg with what we all know of Google Assistant proper now.
New messaging and video calling
There have been some small rumblings that Google was able to launch a model new messaging app, and right here it’s. Allo is being billed as a nice person-to-person and group messaging app, with all the options you anticipate in a competitor like Fb Messenger or WhatsApp, however then there’s this additional wrinkle: Google Assistant is baked proper into the expertise. Whether or not you are speaking to the Google Assistant instantly or getting it concerned in an ongoing dialog, Allo will convey you tons of additional info that may prevent time and problem concerned with switching apps to do some duties.
Going a step additional, Google is making an attempt to make the expertise of cellular video calling truly enjoyable once more with Duo. It is a companion app to Allo that leverages some superior new know-how to deal with person-to-person video chats instantly with higher reliability and high quality. Anybody who has achieved video calls on cellular is aware of that there is a whole lot of room for enchancment, and Duo goals to fill the void.
Digital actuality
A final-minute rumor about platform-level digital actuality help had us considerably prepared for this, however we did not know it would be fairly this massive. Google introduced that Android N will use the brand new “Daydream” commonplace, which can construct in tons of latest options that make VR a first-class expertise on telephones operating the software program — meaning a built-in VR interface for navigation, VR variations of Google apps and plenty of heavy lifting when it comes to managing latency and efficiency for a terrific VR expertise throughout units.
However even additional, Google is offering producers with open supply reference platforms for a brand new degree of VR headset and one-handed movement controller. With these reference designs, producers will have the ability to construct their very own headsets and controllers — very similar to the Google Cardboard platform — that work with Android telephones and supply an awesome expertise. We do not have a ton of particulars, however this appears to be a pleasant step up from Cardboard and a strong rival to the expertise on supply from the Gear VR.
Google House
Google’s competitor to the Amazon Echo is right here, and it has very lofty objectives. Google Residence, at its most elementary degree, is a small speaker that is designed to take a seat out within the open at house and be interacted with repeatedly. It is a Wi-Fi speaker with an array of microphones and lights that may take all types of queries that you simply’d usually ask your telephone or pill — asking Google for sure issues, asking about upcoming appointments, reserving reservations, and so on.
That each one seems like a strong competitor to the Amazon Echo, however there’s so a lot potential Google House that would push it past what Amazon presently provides. Google Residence goals to be a hub for controlling all features of your related residence — managing music to a number of audio system across the house, sending content material from units as much as TVs, controlling lights and thermostats, managing info for an entire household and soooo far more. We do not fairly know the small print of how Google Residence is meant to handle so many units, however Google has excessive expectations for itself on this one.
Android Put on
Whereas many people thought that Android Put on was withering on the vine, Google got here out with a fairly large replace for the platform. The newest replace, which is in builders’ arms right now and might be out to retail units within the fall, brings an enormous change in visible styling but in addition a few new methods to enter textual content on watches.
Visually, you get a brand new Materials Design-inspired notification format that goes away from the unique “playing cards” metaphor, together with modifications to the app launcher. Watch faces can now have further “problems” that add info to any watch face from third-party apps that you simply select, which could have large prospects as soon as builders get it of their palms. For textual content enter, there’s new handwriting enter and gesture typing on a full keyboard.
Android Auto
Android Auto did not get time in the primary I/O keynote, however there was a handful of strong bulletins that convey options individuals have been ready for. Maybe the most important new function is that you’ll run the Android Auto interface natively on a telephone or pill, which means that those that are unable to get a first- or third-party head unit with the software program can run Android Auto on simply an Android gadget mounted within the automotive.
Past that, Google tell us that Android Auto will quickly incorporate the good crowd-sourced visitors info from Waze, and there are new partnerships in place to have deeply built-in Android Auto experiences in new automobiles.
Chrome OS
Chrome OS wasn’t on the primary stage at present, nevertheless it was on everybody’s thoughts as Google revealed a brand new session for Might 19 that may lastly unveil Google Play Retailer and Android apps that run on Chrome OS. The extra wrinkle right here is the chances enabled by the Android Prompt Apps initiative, which lets Google load and run particular elements of Android apps on units with out downloading and putting in the entire app first. Issues are about to get actually enjoyable within the Chrome OS area as soon as that is all in movement.
Android on telephones and tablets
Google I/O is coming a pair months after Google already unveiled — and even up to date — the Android N Developer Preview, so a lot of the keynote and periods are about recapping what we already know and speaking about the way it all works collectively. However there have been a couple of unknown options that have been introduced. First, there’s Android On the spot Apps, which is a brand new function that may allow Google to supply up small bits of apps with out downloading the entire app from Google Play first. Then we noticed how Android N will deal with system updates sooner or later, which hopefully will result in faster and fewer painful replace processes for everybody concerned.
Google additionally selected to make use of I/O as a launch level for the primary “beta” launch of the Android N preview, which suggests we’re taking a look at a much more secure construct that is nearly finalized when it comes to APIs for builders to write down apps towards. It additionally signifies that options are almost set, so we’re taking a look at a reasonably finalized system proper now. There might be a lot of advantageous tuning within the months forward earlier than the complete launch, however the heavy lifting is completed.
Oh hey, and Google hasn’t determined what Android N will stand for … and needs your enter on the matter.
For builders
This is a developer’s convention in any case, and Google hasn’t forgotten that — there have been loads of bulletins and new merchandise particularly for the gang who’re making apps and units that work with Android. There is a new model of Android Studio with neat options (notably in format design), a recent tackle the suite of analytics instruments Google presents referred to as Firebase, and a brand new Play Console app that may give app builders the numbers they want on the go.
The actual issues that builders get out of this present come from the periods after the keynote, however it’s all the time nice to see Google spend time on the large stage displaying the person builders that they’re necessary to the Android ecosystem.