Google IO is almost here and we’re all counting down the days until we can get our new *fingers crossed* Google Pixel. We asked some of our Android devs what they are hoping to see announced this week. So here it goes: Detroit Labs developers’ quick take on their predictions, hopes, and dreams for Google IO.
New/Cheaper Pixel Phones
We’re excited about this one because of our wallets, but also because it’s a major indication of Google’s return to the mid-range market. Don’t get us wrong, we want the flashy/high-tech phones too, but we don’t want anybody to be priced out of the glory that is Google Pixel.
Flutter/Dart/Fuschia
It’s been two years since Flutter was first revealed and it feels like it wouldn’t be Google IO without us hearing more about the future of Flutter/Dart/Fuschia. We can’t wait to see the possibilities with Flutter and cross-platform development.
Dark Mode
*Starts chant* “We want system-wide dark mode. We want system wide dark mode. We want…” Fine, it’s not a great chant… but it’s a great feature and we want it. Please, Google?
Foldables
Are foldable phones cool? Maaaaaybe. It’s like a flip phone, but in reverse… which might be a novelty, but also might be super cool. We’re curious to see if/how Google talks about foldables given the delayed launch of the Samsung Galaxy Fold.
Firebase App Distribution
According to the Fabric website, the switch is “Late 2019.” When is late 2019? We’re excited to hear more about Firebase app distribution.
Stadia
We’d love more info on Stadia and to see it become more realized. There are tons of “the Netflix of _________” these days, but the “Netflix of games” sounds pretty great from where we’re sitting. When does it launch? How much does it cost? When can we start gaming?
Attention: Avid gamers. Don’t @ us. We can hear you groaning in disappointment from here. Some of us are still excited for Stadia.
Digital Wellbeing
Digital Wellbeing is designed to curb phone addiction and increase mindfulness of how much you utilize your phone or specific apps. Digital Wellbeing is still fairly new and we’re excited to see how Google innovates on the technology this year.
Tech has a huge place in our society, so it’s important that we have the tools to use it in ways that benefit us. A lot of people seem to be upset because the tool automatically installs onto user’s phones, but if you’ve ever been out to eat with a group of friends, it’s clear that we need it… Either way it’s a hell of a lot better than Apple forcing U2 on all of their users.
Some interesting use cases we’d like to see include the ability to set a time limit on the NewsFeed Launcher in addition to apps. It’d also be cool for apps to turn grayscale after a certain amount of time usage within the app.
What About You?
What are you hoping for? Do you have any hopes and dreams for what Google is going to announce? Stay tuned for posts from our developers who will be out at Google IO in California this week.