14 DAY TRIAL // It’s been more than two months since Google updated its Play Services application for Android devices. Today, the search giant has announced that a new version of Google Play Services is available for download.
According to Google, the latest version is being rolled out in stages worldwide, which means that it might not be available for all Android devices at the same time.
Google Play Services 4.4 comes with a range of new features aimed at target developers. First of all, Google has confirmed that it has added a new Street View API.
This means that developers will now be able to integrate “Street View imagery into an activity enabling your users to explore the world through panoramic 360-degree views.”
Furthermore, Google states that it has added lots of new options to the Indoor Maps feature of the API. For example, the developers will be able to turn the default floor picker off, or they can also detect when a new building comes into focus, thus pinpointing the active building and floor.
But there is more to it. The Location API that is capable of detecting if a device is in a vehicle, on a bicycle, on foot, still, or tilting, has been improved with two more activity detectors.
Beginning with Google Play Services 4.4, the Location API can now detect running and walking. This provides a much larger potential for devs who can now enhance their apps to make them more responsive to their users.
In the previous version, Google added Game Gifts, which would allow users to request gifts or wishes. In the latest iteration, this feature has been extended to allow the user to select multiple Game Gifts recipients.
Mobile Ads is another aspect of Google Play Services that got some improvements as well. Google has confirmed that it has added new APIs for publishers to display in-app promo ads, which will eventually allow users to purchase advertised items directly.
The Instant Buy API has received some tweaks as well. Google’s engineers have reduced the “work involved to place a ‘Buy With Google’ button in an application.”
The improvement has been made via a new WalletFragment API, which has been introduced in this version of Google Play Services. Developers will only need to configure these so-called fragments and include them in their applications.
That’s about all the new features and improvements that Google has added in Play Services 4.4, but the company has stated that once the rollout is complete, it will offer devs updated reference material.