It’s almost time for Google’s annual Google I/O developer conference where The Big G details all of its software plans for the coming year alongside new announcements (usually hardware) and updates on current and ongoing projects (Project ARA and its self-driving car).
It is also where the company details its next installment of Android. This year’s is called Android N and is now available as a beta download for those rocking Nexus handsets. Tomorrow’s demo will tell us more about the update itself and also confirm all of its new features and updates.
There will be hardware too -- just not Nexus phones, sadly -- as well as expected updates for ChromeOS (will it merge with Android N?) and existing Google services. VR will almost certainly be on the agenda, as will an announcement from Xiaomi; most sources reckon it’ll be something to do with Android TV, however. Not a phone release.
Here’s everything we’re expecting to see from this year’s Google I/O 2016:
Android N Update
Android N is the big deal for most people at this year’s expo. The reason for this is simple: Android is the biggest OS in the world and updates to the platform mean big changes for phones inside the following 12-18 months.
Google is expected to introduce a bunch of new features in this build of Android. The most talked about at present seems to be a type of 3D Touch-style display feature, whereby users can interact with the display itself like you can on the iPhone 6s and some Huawei handsets.
Expect to see further developments to battery performance and power management as well as plenty of tweaks and back-end updates for increases in overall performance. Android Marshmallow was a fairly conservative update, so we’re expecting Google to be a little more gung-ho with Android N.
Google Home
Like Amazon Echo, Google Home is said to be a voice-activated unit that sits in your home. You ask it questions and it gives you answers; sort of like a very early version of HAL 9000.
This is Google’s attempt at getting us used to using AI -- artificial intelligence -- before it makes its full transition into making walking and talking androids that will enslave all of humanity. Home will support basic features like Google Music and Cast and, overtime, will have new features added in.
Android Auto
Apple’s making a car. Everybody knows that. But so too is Google. And it has been working on it for AGES. Could this year’s I/O 2016 see an actual, tangible release date for the company’s driverless cars?
Android Auto is a lot more solid. This is Google’s first steps into the automotive world. It has successfully acquired Waze and will no doubt announce more Android Auto partners with some big name car brands at this year’s expo.
VR
VR is going to be the next big tech-trend, according to everybody. And Google being Google wants to be there when it happens, which is why it has apparently developed a bigger and better version of Google Cardboard.
Reports about this new VR headset are pretty thin on the ground. They’re also rather conflicted; the WSJ says you won’t need a phone, PC or anything to run it, while other reports claim it will require a phone to function.
Either way, expect to see a new VR headset announced at some point during the next few days.
ChromeOS
I love ChromeOS. I’m writing this on a Chromebook Pixel, which was easily one of the coolest bits of technology I reviewed in 2015. For this reason, I am very excited about any potential updates coming ChromeOS’ way.
But perhaps the most tantalising of all is a merger between Android and ChromeOS, whereby ChromeOS could be secreted away inside a handset and then boot up ChromeOS when connected to supported peripheral devices like a dummy laptop.
Google is apparently very keen on doing something like this as it would help it to better compete with Apple and Microsoft in the burgeoning hybrid space, which looks likely to take over from both standard PCs and tablets.
Xiaomi
Xiaomi has confirmed it will be making an appearance at this year’s Google I/O 2016, which is great. The only downside, well, sort of downside, is that it isn’t to do with phones. Apparently Xiaomi is there to pimp a new Android TV device.
Android Wear is still going strong. Google has pumped out A LOT of updates in the past 12 months, so it is highly likely we’ll see more confirmed or, at least, alluded to at Google I/O 2016. There could also be new hardware announced. Just don’t go holding your breath on that count; sales have not been good!
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