Android in 2021, was the year of ...
Shady Yehia Selim, MSc,MBA
Human | Staff Android Engineer | Android Kotlin Advocate & Public Speaker
After almost 2 years of lock down because of Covid-19, this yeas had many achievement and surprises form Android team, and won't allow this year to end without sharing all the great news with you.
TL; TD;
Kotlin was the beginning:
In 2016 I had seen the potentials of Kotlin as a new language for Kotlin. In Google I/O 2017 the Android team announced Kotlin as a 1st Class Language for Android. I did consider this the biggest bold for Android and the start of a new better era for Android development, and this dated the begin of more
#Android Updates on 29th of December 2021
App Architecture Guide
After years of asking the Android team what patterns should the developers use creating apps, and the Android team answer the blogs questions to use whatever the developer finds suitable, in 2017 the Android team announced the Jetpack ViewModel library and said that MVVM is their new recommended pattern.
By the end of this year, the Android team shared a very useful article defining the latest modern architecture that they now recommend in creating new Android apps in their guide to app architecture.
End of 29th December Updates
The Jetpack Compose Era had begun
I use to say that Kotlin is the biggest thing that happened to Android, since I year ago I started saying that Jetpack Compose the NEXT BIGGEST THING.
This year, we had Android Developer Challenge Compose Weeks, in Google I/O had announcement about Jetpack Compose timeline and updates, Compose reached version 1 in July, on October we had Jetbrain's Kotlin 2021 Premier Online Event, and in the same month we had great session and updates in #AndroidDevSummit ‘21. So it was the year of Jetpack Compose.
A sample app of my creation experimenting Jetpack Compose for complex UI
#Compose Updates on 29th of December 2021
A NEW library, "Jetpack Glance" to create Compose Widgets
One of the most powerful forgotten tools for App engagement is App Widgets, put not forgotten from the Compose team. Read the article of Jetpack Glance
Responsive Layout Grid
With foldables and big screen more need is requested a way to provide responsive UI screens. Jetpack Compose got you covered. The responsive layout grid link
Jetpack Compose Live Updates
Now you can try and enjoy Compose Live Updates and Hot Run right in your emulator, check all the Compose tooling.
#End of 29th December Updates
Compose Material You
Material You is the new layout framework for Android announced in Google I/O summit. And from day 1, Jetpack Compose is supporting it. Read More.
Compose Multiplatform
No we can create Android, Web, and Desktop with the same Jetpack Compose code, with no extra effort, read more.
Compose for Wear OS
BIGGEST NEWS TO SHARE: Figma-Compose Cooperation
Now we can create our Android mobile layout using Figma, then go to Android Studio and receive the layout in Jetpack Compose Kotlin code, watch more.
Other big Android news of the year:
Android 12:
It was released according to schedule, but the big companies didn't all update their images yet.
Material You:
I like to call it Android You, as Android didn't only had a facelift and new amazing interface, but had changed from the core to focus in users' data protection and?privacy and security by design, plus #BetterTogether concept.
Android 12L:
Big screens were used but not really supported with the Android systems, it was the same Android, just with bigger screen, this time had changed, now Android is focusing to support big screens with better screen and resolutions supports and UI/UX tweaks and handling, plus real support for multitasking for #foldables and big screens with split screens apps features, and 2 columns apps for big screens like Chromebook, and drag and drop feature for mobile.
My Video in Google I/O Android updates in English
My Video in Google I/O Android updates in Arabic
Google I/O Android updates slides