Developers for the Google Android platform will be delighted to know that they now have access to Google Play services 8.1 which will prepare them for the release of the upcoming and much anticipated Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS update. With Google Play services 8.1, there’s all sorts of new additions and tweaks that developers will want to get familiar with, all of which will help developers create better applications that in return will give consumers a better experience. Take a look at the new additions and the Google released video that goes over some of the Google Play services 8.1 highlights.
One of the new features that is being placed within Google Play services 8.1 and Android 6.0 Marshmallow is a new permission model. This time around users of different applications will be able to control the various app permissions, ultimately giving consumers more control over the application. It’s important to note that applications released before the Google Play services 8.1 SDK will not have this ability but Google urges developers to update, not only for this feature but to also assure their application will run properly with the upcoming operating system update Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
It wasn’t too long ago that users received App Invites which gave users the ability to send out app invites to friends and family. Not only will users still be given access to App Invites but will now receive the option to add an image into their invite. Additionally, Google Maps will be getting a feature that was previously present within devices running Android Wear. Ambient Mode allows applications to stay visible but scaled down in order to save on power consumption. In this case, Google Maps will now showcase the desired map in a low color rendering while also retaining the camera and zoom levels.
One of the highlights in the Google Play Services 8.1 video covers the Player Stats API. The new API will now give developers more statistics from consumers playing their video game. There will be a total of three segments that players will be categorized into and that includes spending, engagement, and progression. Google goes on to say that with these segments, developers can decide on how they can give future rewards to select players or even provide users with hints if they become stuck in progressing through the game. You can check out more of these highlights from the Google released video down below.