Google entered the smart phone market with Android, which is a mobile operating system based on Linux kernel. Android became an instant hit owing to its open-source nature. It still continues to rule a majority of market share in the technology sector.
Android has become quite popular with technology and software companies as well as application developers. According to a survey conducted in 2013, around 71% of application developers created applications for Android platform. And, with the release of Android’s latest version of operating system, the world is witnessing a substantial rise in Android application development. Android 5.0 or Android Lollipop, as it is popularly known to us, is Google’s newest offering that takes the experience of using a smart phone to a whole new level. This latest version of Android operating system was released in November 2014.
Android Lollipop is designed to introduce a whole new set of amazing features for touch screen devices like smart phones and tablets. Moreover, with Android Lollipop, Google has extended its reach by developing user interfaces (UIs) for television sets (Android TV), cars (android Auto) and wrist watches (Android Wear) as well as for game consoles, digital cameras, personal computers and more. Android Lollipop offers a bunch of defining features, such as improved battery life, display of key notifications on a lock screen, multitasking and a lot more.
Learning the Android way:
There are a lot of reasons as to why you should take application development for Android Lollipop seriously. Android Lollipop market is relatively younger and there is every possibility that your application may find a place for itself on Google Play Store. A lot of third-party applications have already become popular on the Android market. Additionally, with Android Lollipop, developing applications is fun with a lot of room for innovation and experiment. The new material design interface is an updated feature which is a key add-on leveraging the process of application development.
The present scenario is favorable and rewarding for android developers and it will continue to turn better in the near future. Moreover, Android application development is currently one of the most sought-after technical skills in the job market. Hence, there are a range of opportunities to make some money working as a freelance Android application developer.
Hence, I am presenting this useful list of 6 resources to learn Android Lollipop development. Here we go.
1. Bitfountain
On Bitfountain, you will find an extensive course on application development with Android Lollipop. ‘The BitFountain Android Immersive Course’ takes you across the important topics in Android development, including the Java programming language, extensible markup language, SQLite database, Android Studio 1.0 and the Android SDK.
The course features video lectures spanning over 30 hours and a varied set of exercises to work upon. Moreover, you get lifetime access to the course so you can learn at your own pace. Upon completion of this course, you will have learnt to build applications for Android Lollipop.
Also Read: 10 Free and Open-Source Security Apps for Android
2. Vogella
Vogella is a popular online training center for learning technology courses. The company specializes in imparting training in the areas of Eclipse and Android. Vogella has released a comprehensive text-based tutorial for Android application development based on Android 5.0 Lollipop. ‘An Introduction to Android development’ is an educational course explaining the basic concepts of developing applications for Android 5.0 from scratch.
The course covers the use of Android Studio as well as ADT plug-in for Eclipse. It is carefully instructed with lucid explanations and narratives straight to the point. The fundamental concepts are briefed in detail and relevant examples, screenshots and other reference materials are included where necessary.
Also See: Learn Android Lollipop Development by Building Real Apps
3. Skillfeed
On Skillfeed, you will find a beginner’s course for Android Lollipop application development. The course features a set of 94 video lessons spanning around 10 hrs. This course covers all important topics related to Android 5.0 application development with Android Lollipop. You will find short video tutorials on useful topics, such as ADT bundle installation, Android architecture, button selection, multiple screen designing, Android widgets/components and more. Right from designing applications with graphics to publishing them on to Google Play Store, this course has got it all covered.
4. Eduonix
Eduonix is a premier online destination to explore a wide range of technology courses. Here, you will find a complete course for Android Lollipop application development catering to students, experienced programmers, beginners and other working professionals. It comprises over 58 video lectures amounting to over 7 hours of content.
‘Android Lollipop 5.0: Ultimate Tutorial for App Development’ is an instructor-led video course covering fundamental topics, such as Android tools, Android UI, user navigation, dynamic views, data storage, Lollipop APIs and a lot more.
The course helps you to build conceptual knowledge and gain practical insight in to the core principles of application development with Android Lollipop. Starting with simple topics like Android architecture and ecosystem, the course delves deeper in to complex application programming interfaces (APIs), such as sensors, material design and data storage.
You begin with simple lab exercises and then gradually move on to working on professional Android projects. Moreover, you get a lifetime access to this course and a certificate upon completion.
Also Check: Average Salary of an Android Programmer in 2015
5. Udemy
Udemy is a popular online hub to scout for some latest technology courses. On Udemy, you can find an exhaustive video course for learning application development with Android Lollipop. The course is ideal for beginners and imparts training to write around 14 Android mobile applications with Android Lollipop. It consists of 197 instructional video tutorials which spans around 30 hours of video coaching.
The course covers basic learning topics, including Android Studio, Eclipse, SQlite, content providers, fragments, activities, intents and more. Some of the applications that you learn to build with this course are calculator, YouTube video player, Flickr image search and display application, database drive Friends application, a game and a Note Keep application.
Also Check: 6 Great Photo Editing Apps for Android
6. Advanced Training Consultants
A lot of people prefer e-books over text/video tutorials which is why I have included Advanced Training Consultants in the list. It offers a comprehensive guide to Android programming, called as ‘Android Application Development with Android 5.0 (Lollipop)’. The e-book provides a step-by-step approach to building professional Android applications. The curriculum includes lessons on various Android SDK libraries with lab exercises devoted to each lesson. The e-book explains topics, such as Android Studio and framework, Android SDK tools, list views, Android layouts, themes, material design and SQLite with clarity and learning insight.
Conclusion:
Java is the programming language used for writing Android applications. But, a lot of the aforementioned courses also teach you adequate Java for writing Android applications, so you can easily start learning with the right course immediately. You must be aware that the Android market is flooded with several applications in categories, such as games, entertainment, education, music, business and health. But, you should also check out popular applications built with material design, such as Action Launcher 3, Feedly Reader, Weather Timeline and many more.
So, I suggest you to start learning Android Lollipop application development and I am sure that you will be going great guns in no time. Good Luck.
