Google makes 'Android L' developer preview available, with tons of new features

June 25, 2014

Design takes center stage in the next version of Android, with a new look that will feature animated transitions and spruced-up interface elements. What it won't have is a catchy official name, at least for now—Google just calls it “Android L.” Android's latest release arrives Thursday in preview form, bringing with it an enormous number of changes highlighted by lots of user-facing interface changes and more than 5,000 API features for developers. It’s Google’s biggest release to date, and it will be available in the form of Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 images, together with an SDK for developers. Google spent a lot of time at Wednesday's I/O keynote in San Francisco talking about “Material Design,” its name for new features aimed at sharpening up interface elements for users. There’s a lot to unravel with Material Design, but the big takeaways are depth and animation. All interface elements can be given a “depth value” by developers, and the Material Design framework will automatically generate subtle shadows and perspective to make it clear which elements are “on top of” others.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

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