With the official release of the Apple Watch earlier this week, Google has their sights set on giving Android developers the upper hand. Now more than ever, app development needs to be universal (supporting multiple devices and a large number of form factors). Taking into account a wide variety of screen resolutions and sizes can be an overwhelming task for even the most experienced developers; to this end, Google has created a universal music player app to serve as an example.
It may not have an array of features (though it does show how to implement media browsing and playback functions like MediaStyle notifications, MediaSession, and MediaBrowserService), but it does a good job of providing a template to follow during the creation of any other apps.
Android isn’t the only platform to push universal apps, Apple and Microsoft have also tried to encourage developers to create code the works on every device available. It is good advice for anybody wanting to leverage development efforts instead of supporting multiple code bases for the same app. Don’t discount that it is a win-win arrangement though: app store volume can help to determine the success or failure of a platform.
End users will not find this universal music player in the Play Store, instead developers will have to look on GitHub for the source code so they can start combing through it.
Jillian Koskie is an experienced software developer, content writer, project manager and usability design expert. With over 17 years in these roles, Jillian has enjoyed applying her skill-set to assist clients and users across a wide variety of sectors including: legal, health, and financial services. Combining these professional opportunities with a love of technology, Jillian is pleased to contribute articles, opinions, and advice to numerous news outlets, websites, and publications.
