Android Studio Hits Beta; Supports Android L, Wear, and TV

We’ve talked about Android Studio quite a bit in recent months. This relatively new IDE was first unveiled at last year’s I/O as a more streamlined way to create Android apps versus using Eclipse-based solutions thanks to key improvements like live code rendering across multiple layouts and more. In the time since, Android Studio has matured very quickly. And for many users, it has become their go-to Android IDE.

We last talked about Android Studio back when it reached version 0.6.1 a few weeks ago. For those who don’t remember, this update brought quite a few updates including a revamped New Project Wizard, a new SDK Level dialog to help you better target your application, and various bugfixes. Now, Android Studio 0.8.0 has been released, and in doing so, it exits Alpha and enters Beta.

Although a formal changelog has not yet been posted, Android Studio 0.8.0 Beta brings quite a lot to the table. Namely, version 0.8.0 brings support for Material Design and Android L Developer Preview. In addition, 0.8.0 also allows you to create apps specifically geared towards Android Wear and Android TV. As stated on the Android Developers blog post:

To help you develop your apps for the upcoming Android version and for new Android device types, we’re also happy to announce Android Studio Beta. Android Studio Beta helps you develop apps by enabling you to:

• Incorporate the new material design and interaction elements of the L Developer Preview SDK
• Quickly create and build apps with a new app wizard and layout editor support for Android Wear and Android TV

Building on top of the build variants and flavors features we introduced last year, the Android Studio build system now supports creating multiple apks, such as for devices like Android Wear. You can try out all the new features with the L Developer Preview by downloading the Android Studio Beta today.

You can learn more by heading over to the Android Developers blog, and you can install the latest version yourself by heading over to the project download page. Then when you’re done, head over to our app development forums to share your development experiences with Android Studio and other development tools. Also, be sure to check out all of our past Android Studio coverage to learn more about its history and to find compatible tools and guides.

[Many thanks to yourarjunjadeja for the heads up!]

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source: xdadevelopers