Developer Preview and Play Services 5
Article Summary
Jamal Eason just announced something unprecedented: Android's first-ever public developer preview before launch. Google is opening up the L release early, fundamentally changing how developers prepare for major platform updates.
At Google I/O 2014, the Android team unveiled the L Developer Preview alongside Google Play Services 5.0. This marks a strategic shift in how Google works with developers, giving early access to test new features across phones, tablets, wearables, TV, and auto platforms before public release.
Key Takeaways
- Material design introduces new visual language across all Android form factors
- Project Volta adds Battery Historian tool and job scheduler API for power efficiency
- Android Runtime (ART) becomes default, improving performance through ahead-of-time compilation
- 64-bit support arrives with updated NDK for native code developers
- Google Play Services 5.0 adds wearable sync, game quests, and app indexing
Critical Insight
Android L Developer Preview gives developers unprecedented early access to test material design, performance improvements, and multi-device capabilities before the public launch.
