This year’s Google I/O 2016 ushered in announcements of multiple developer-related projects including the Android N developer preview, the release of Google VR Daydream and the integration of mobile backend service Firebase with the Google Cloud Platform.

All of these projects come with their own developer hubs and documentation as well as interesting new features and goodies focused on bringing developers. Keep reading for a general overview of what we know about these projects as well as links to further information, documentation, and developer SDK/API references.

Image credit: Google, Inc. https://www.android.com/

Android N Developer Preview

The next-generation of Android OS is going to be Android N (and Google is asking people to help name it) but the official release is not for a few months consequent to the release of next-gen phones that will run it. Meanwhile, Google has given developers access to a Developer Preview.

The developer preview delivers hardware and emulator images and the latest platform code, which will focus on developer issues (in the first few weeks) in order to encourage feedback. The preview is also designed to give developers an idea of new behaviors and functionalities baked into Android N.

The preview started in March 2016 and will continue to update itself until the full established SDK and API are released and the release candidate is pushed out to the ecosystem in 2016 Q3.

The SDK tools are downloadable components for Android Studio including preview SDK and tools, emulator and system image (32- and 64-bit), emulator system image for Android TV (32-bit) and support libraries for new app templates.

Developers getting started with the preview should visit the Set Up for Android N for step-by-step instructions. Google hopes developers will test against the behavior changes in the OS as a key focus for feedback. Documentation is available including an API Overview and API Reference. Further documentation includes sample code and finally the release notes for the current version.

Using the preview Android N images, emulator, SDK and API should give developers time to prep apps that will run on the next-gen phones before the 2016 Q3 release date.

Image credit: Daydream VR demo via Google, Inc.

Daydream VR

One big deal about Android N is that it will bake in virtual reality (VR) support with Daydream for the upcoming crop of next-gen smartphones and tablets. This means that developers interested in develops apps that can take advantage of VR—or simply port their current apps to VR-support—can get to work right now.

For a substantive guide to what we know about Daydream and the developer resources see yesterday’s Google I/O Daydream VR developer guide article on SiliconANGLE.

Or start at the Google VR developer hub page which includes the full array of SDKs and API reference for building Daydream-ready applications. Currently developers have access to previews for two APIs: Unity and Android N native. (An iOS SDK is also available, but that OS only supports Google Cardboard VR.)

During presentation at Google I/O 2016 it was mentioned that Daydream will be a viewer (similar to Samsung Gear VR) that takes a phone, which becomes both screen and VR processor, as well as a Wiimote-like handheld controller. All of these components will go together to produce the Daydream VR experience and will be accessible through the API to developers.

To support a VR experience, Google has worked to streamline Android hardware specifications and the Android N OS to lower latency, increase performance and thus deliver a superior graphics experience. This also added a number of Android native hooks applicable to rendering, displaying and configuring VR experiences with smartphone displays.

Daydream is set to launch alongside Android N in the Fall (2016 Q3).

Firebase

The Backend-as-a-Service infrastructure platform for mobile Firebase has been integrated into a unified app platform and connected with Google Cloud Platform for persistence. The platform, released for free to mobile developers, delivers an entire suite of mobile services including realtime database, cloud storage, messaging, remote configuration, crash reporting, notifications and analytics.

As a key feature Firebase Analytics provides an unlimited analytics solution for mobile developers to gain insight into what users are doing with the app—and provide powerful insights into advertisement campaigns and cross-network attributions (i.e. figuring out how users are coming to the app).

The addition of Firebase database, cloud storage, remote config and hosting will also allow developers to rapidly prototype apps without having to worry about the nitty-gritty nuts and bolts side of engineering an application. Since most of that is taken care of, app developers an focus on UI, background logic and the value processes that make the app work.

Documentation for Firebase is split across the three platforms it serves: iOS, Android and the Web. At the Firebase documentation hub, developers can find a Get Started Guide, API reference and sample code for each of these platforms. Also available are feature guides for analytics, cloud messaging, authentication, realtime database, storage, hosting, remote configuration, the testing lab and crash reporting.

Featured image credit: Bathed in Morning Sunlight via photopin (license)