The Google I/O keynote was one of the most anticipated events of May, 2013, and we got an insight into the slew of developments that Google is planning to make to its offerings. The event, which was held on the 15th of May, 2013, showed that Google is focusing more on improving the quality and the features of its existing services, rather than releasing anything new. However, conspicuous by its absence, was the announcement of the latest version of Android, Android 4.3. It was widely expected that Google would announce version 4.3 of its Android OS this week, but that was not to be. Also, there was no unveiling of the latest ‘Nexus technology’ that was also very anticipated by people from around the world.
Why No Release of Android?
People and experts from around the world were certain that Google would release a newer version of Android in its I/O keynote this week but unfortunately, that did not happen. Although the reason was not announced, we can clearly speculate. It is already a well-known fact that a majority of Android users are still using the Gingerbread version. It is only recently that the latest versions of Android, Jelly Bean and Ice Cream Sandwich, started to get some traction in terms of the number of users.
Google is likely guarding itself against the host of operating system versions that it has to cater to, in case it releases newer versions of Android on a regular basis. If you are taking Android classes or Android courses, you will know about the challenges and limitations of making an app that works both for Gingerbread, and for other 4.0 versions of Android. But this is still only a speculation.
Nexus: Another No Show
Although no one expected to see a latest version of the Google Nexus, the Nexus 5, it was anticipated that the LTE version of the Nexus 4 would be on display at the I/O keynote. Also, the Nexus 7 tablet with improved features was also conspicuous by its absence. The only hardware that Google displayed was the Galaxy S4 from Samsung. Google said that this device will have only the Android OS, and will be on sale in the Google Play Store with a price tag of $649. For those of you complaining about the phones from Samsung, this is your opportunity to get a Samsung handset with native Android OS.
Latest API and ‘Two Way Sync’ on Cloud Messaging
For those of you who have enrolled for advanced Android training or already have experience in Android development, the new set of location tools and APIs that are aimed at improving the quality of location data, opens up a host of new possibilities. These tools and APIs are developed in such a way that they consume less power and time, to gather the location data accurately, thus increasing the overall efficiency.
Also, Google announced that their widely popular Cloud Messaging system is now capable of two way synchronizing. This means that even if you use the messaging service on multiple devices, all the devices will synchronize with the cloud on a regular basis, and the read messages will be marked as read on all devices.
More Features
Google also announced an online radio service that can be used on all devices. This service has subscription fees of $7.99 per month and can be subscribed to, form the Google Play Store. Google Talk has now been merged with Google+ Messenger, which gives it a refreshing new look and a host of added features. There was a new Google Hangout app that was also unveiled. This app supports video chat through phone, to tablet, to PC, and any other Google Hangout capable devices. Google also promised that they would adopt the Bluetooth 4.0 specs and it would be incorporated into the OS in the subsequent release.
Google Maps Preview
The newest version of Google Maps has been in the news for a while now and Google has finally given the official preview of what we can expect. Apart from the dynamic new interface that is supposedly more clear and concise compared to the previous version, the new maps interface will give the users a route with minimal traffic by anticipating the traffic in the route that is being taken. Also, alerts are provided in case there are traffic blocks or any such incidents, giving you the opportunity to take the swiftest route. However, you have to wait for a while for the latest and the newest version of Google Maps.
Google disappointed a lot of fans and experts in its latest I/O keynote by not announcing anything about the latest version of Android OS, or the updated version of the Nexus. All in all, it was an eventful I/O keynote. Although it was slightly disappointing because there was no Android or Nexus release, the features that were unveiled did manage to steal the show.
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