10 Things Likely to Happen at the Google I/O Conference

By Don Reisinger

Android Wear will be everywhere at the Google I/O Conference. Google has already shown off some of its features in the Moto 360 smartwatch and other wearables, but it is expected to fully flesh out its feature set at the I/O Conference. During the company’s keynote address especially, Android Wear will play a prominent role in detailing Google’s plans for the future. Wearables are the next big thing. And Google knows it.

The Moto 360, which is arguably the most interesting wearable that we know about right now, will be prominently on display at Google I/O. The device is essentially a watch but runs Android Wear and has a round, instead of a square, face, making it unique in the smartwatch market because it actually looks more like the typical watch. It’s expected to be a big hit at Google I/O.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone, but Google is expected to show off the latest version of Android at its annual developers conference. The update is expected to be evolutionary in its design, but will come with several security enhancements that will please the enterprise.

Health is all the rage in the technology industry right now. Last month, Apple showed off its new HealthKit and opened that to developers in the hopes they’ll bring more health-focused apps to iOS. Samsung has done something similar. And now, Google is expected to make important announcements about how its software can integrate with health-related technologies, ranging from applications to hardware. Expect a true HealthKit competitor to come out of Google I/O.

Each year at Google I/O, the search company unveils a new Nexus device running the latest and greatest version of Android, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise if Google does the same this year. The company is rumored to be working with LG on the new Nexus 5. Exact details on the device are unknown at this point.

In addition to a smartphone, expect Google to announce at least one new tablet at the show. In fact, recent reports suggest that Google has partnered with Asus to build both a 7- and 10-inch tablet running the latest Android version. Like its predecessors, the device will come with the Nexus branding.

Project Tango could—and perhaps should—make an appearance at the Google I/O Conference. The technology aims at incorporating the real world into our mobile experience. Project Tango envisions devices that will be capable of tracking full motion in 3D, and can even determine depth, among many other features. Google is expected to announce the full details on its Project Tango Development Kit at Google I/O.

Google has been making great strides in the area of driverless cars. In fact, it’s possible that the car technology might go into a much broader testing phase in the coming months. So it makes sense that Google will want to open up its car development kit to developers and see how the technology might be used to enhance the driving experience. It’s unclear right now how Google’s driverless cars might play a role at Google I/O, but they are reportedly going to play a role at the show.

Google’s recently acquired Nest will also be an important addition to the show. Nest, especially now that it has acquired Dropcam, is the key component in Google’s future plans for home automation—something Apple featured prominently at its Worldwide Developers Conference. Expect Google to make a lot of noise about home automation at its conference too, and to have Nest there helping it through that.

Although Google TV didn’t work out so well, the very fact that so many companies—from Roku to Apple to Amazon—are getting into the integrated television space means Google needs to respond. The company is rumored to be working on a service called Android TV that will be just that solution. Expect to see many Android TV-based devices on store shelves in just a short period of time.