Google I/O 2018: What to expect
Google's flagship event for 2018 is here. At 10.30pm IST today, the event will officially kick off in Mountain View, California where Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai and other business executives from the search giant, and its parent company Alphabet will take to the stage to announce all the exciting innovations they have in store for 2018.
The keynote and other sessions will be live-streamed on Google I/O's official website while recordings of individual sessions will be uploaded later on the Google Developers YouTube channel.
This week is when we’ll hear the latest about the next generation of Android, Android P, as well as what we can look forward to with products like Chrome, Android Wear, and Google Home.
The I/O developers conference, which will conclude on May 10, will see the a number of important announcements being made, including the latest on Chrome, Android Wear and Google Home.
The Android OS developer is also expected to divulge information on its next mobile operating system, Android P.
Here's all that you can expect.
Android P
This one is arguably the most awaited announcement from Google I/O this year. Much like I/O 2017, Google will reserve a special slot at the event to announce Android P. The first developer preview of Android P – Peppermint Patty or even Pinepapple – was announced in March, so it's not exactly a mystery at the moment.
However, today we can expect some in-depth information.
Apart from announcing features that improve the core performance of the operating system (OS), Google could also announce more details on a redesigned Android messaging app. As is with most things these days, privacy will also be a big talking point for the P update, which is expected to come with a few major security features.
Android P could also bring with it gesture-based features that may be announced at Google I/O.
Google Assistant
Google's voice-based personal assistant has evolved tremendously over the years and has now become a core part of its ecosystem. From Google Home to its smartphones, the majority of its devices use it. At I/O 2018, expect Google to announce some major upgrades to it.
With Assistant likely to get a boost in terms of capabilities, also expect it to be announced for a greater number of devices and services that will help it expand its presence in the tech world.
Google Home
Google updated its line-up of smart speakers at last year's Google I/O event, and expect it to do the same this year, too. The US-based company could announce some new features that could help it take the fight to Amazon Echo smart speakers. There could also be a new set of Google Home devices announced at the event with support for push notifications, hands-free calling, Spotify, and SoundCloud.
AR/VR
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) could also be two technologies that Google focuses on in this year's I/O. However, of the two, AR is expected to get more love. Google's first standalone Daydream VR headset, the Lenovo Mirage Solo, launched last week, so Google may either use this year's conference as an opportunity to talk some more about and also introduce us to other Daydream-powered headsets that are still in the works.
Google could also take us down a different path and talk about the integration of AR with our phones, or maybe even announce the integration of its AR technologies with the Google Chrome web browser.
Focus on AI
There is no doubt I/O 2018 will focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a big way. Much like last year, when AI was one of the central themes of the I/O, this year, too, Google is expected to make interesting announcements. From Google Assistant, Google Photos, to its other services, expect Google to announce deeper integration of AI with its products.