Google I/O 2018 Recap

Ken Baldauf

Key Topics

• Android Jetpack
• AndroidX
• Dev Console Updates
• ML Kit

Android Jetpack

• Set of components and tools to make great Android apps
• Brings together the existing Support Library and Android Components

Android Jetpack

Android KTX

• Alpha Release
• Jetpack: Foundation
• Series of Kotlin Extensions
• Simplifies interaction with the Android SDK and Support Library

Slices

• Alpha Release
• Jetpack: Behavior
• Enhancement to App Actions
• Allows the display of app's UI inside Google Assistant or Google Search app
• The UI templates support back to Android 4.4

WorkManager

• Alpha Release
• Jetpack: Architecture
• Specify deferrable, asynchronous tasks with guaranteed execution
• Removes need for device or API specific async logic
• Handles choosing between JobScheduler, JobDispatcher and AlarmManager

Paging

• Stable Release
• Jetpack: Architecture
• Facilitates easy loading & presentation of large data sets with fast, infinite scrolling
• Made for use with RecyclerView

Navigation

• Alpha Release
• Jetpack: Architecture
• Advocates single Activity apps as the preferred architecture
• Define transitions then let the system build the proper back stack
• Manages the complexity of FragmentTransactions for you

Key Topics

• Android Jetpack
• AndroidX
• Dev Console Updates
• ML Kit

AndroidX

• Support library revamp
• Support library and architecture components are moving from the android package to androidx package

AndroidX

• android package
  • Libraries bundled with OS
  • Different APIs or behavior based on OS version
• androidx package
  • Libraries unbundled from OS
  • Ship in you APK
  • Consistent API & behavior across all OS versions

AndroidX Versioning

• Resets library versions from 28.0.0 to 1.0.0 
• Strict semantic versioning
  • Major version indicates binary compatibility
  • Version 1.5.0 will work with 1.7.0, but not 2.0.0

Key Topics

• Android Jetpack
• AndroidX
• Dev Console Updates
• ML Kit

Dev Console Updates

• Android App Bundle 
• Internal Test Track
• Additional Reporting & Data
• Target API Requirements

Android App Bundle

• Reduces APK size
• Dynamic Delivery
  • APKs optimized for device configs
  • 1 App Bundle = Many APKs
• Dynamic Feature Modules
  • Download components as needed
  • Similar to instant apps

Internal Test Track

• Private internal testing
  • Up to 100 testers
  • Support for multiple closed test track for different versions of your app
  • Builds are released to internal testers in seconds
• Allows alpha & beta channels to be kept free for public testing

Additional Reporting & Data

• Prelaunch Report
  • Automatically runs alpha & beta versions of the app against popular device via Firebase Test Lab
• More Android Vitals Data
  • Data on things like startup times and permission denials

Target API Level Requirements

• All apps must target API level 26 or higher
  • Starting August 2018 for new apps
  • Starting November 2018 for app updates

Key Topics

• Android Jetpack
• AndroidX
• Dev Console Updates
• ML Kit

ML Kit

• Part of Firebase
• Machine Learning APIs for mobile
  • Text Recognition
  • Face Detection
  • Barcode Scanning
  • Image Labeling
  • Landmark Recognition

Key Topics

• Android Jetpack
• AndroidX
• Dev Console Updates
• ML Kit

Questions?