Google’s annual I/O 2017 developer conference kicks off next Wednesday, running from May 17th to the 19th at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California.
Along with workshops and on-hand technical help from developers, Google often uses I/O to announce upcoming projects. For example, last year we got our first glimpse of Android Wear 2.0.
Yep, it's true: I/O'17 will be at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA on May 17-19. See you in 110 days 🙂 #io17 pic.twitter.com/vVlvx1N5mJ
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) January 26, 2017
As always, MobileSyrup will bring you all the news from I/O next week as the keynote livestream kicks off at 1pm ET/ 10am PT.
Below is a roundup of everything we expect to see at this years Google I/O 2017:
Android O
While Android O was revealed a few weeks ago back in March, we expect we’ll learn more about Android’s eighth major iteration at I/O 2017.
Some key features include improved battery life, picture-in-picture mode, the ability to snooze notifications, and a variety of other rumoured functions that likely won’t make it into the final build, like a pollen counter, for example.
It is, however, worth noting that we likely won’t get our first glimpse at Google’s inevitable Pixel 2 at I/O. Google will probably hold a dedicated press event in October to announce the successor to its popular smartphone. Similar to previous years, however, the tech giant will hold its 2017 Google Play Awards.
Google Home
We here are MobileSyrup are hoping Google finally announces that Google Home, its Amazon Echo competitor, is officially coming to more markets, including Canada.
Some rumours point to Google launching a new version of Google Home though given the device isn’t very old yet, it’s more likely the company will announce iterative functionality for the device consisting of an expansion of its Google Assistant capabilities.
Google Assistant and AI
While we don’t know what’s specifically coming, given the emphasis tech giants — especially Google — have placed on AI and virtual assistants lately, Google will almost certainly show off new Assistant features.
It’s likely that overall responsiveness will improve and that third-party Google Assistant integration could be shown off at I/O 2017.
Daydream View
Last year at I/O, Google announced its Daydream VR platform to a furor of fanfare. While the headset is one of the best low-end virtual reality options on the market currently, few devices support the platform.
We’ll probably see announcements at I/O regarding more smartphones earning Daydream certification. It’s also likely Google will discuss its recent acquisition of reputable VR studio Owlchemy Labs. Owlchemby has worked on a variety of genre defining VR projects, including Job Simulator and the more recently released Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality.
On the other hand, it’s possible we could learn more about Google’s augmented reality Tango platform. At CES 2017, a variety of manufacturers showed off Tango-enabled devices, so it’s likely we’ll hear more about the Mountain View, California company’s lofty AR ambitions.
Android Wear 2.0
Finally, Google is expected to discuss is beleaguered Android Wear 2.0 operating system, which it initially announced at I/O 2016.
Given the OS is only beginning to roll out on devices now (especially in Canada), it’s unlikely we’ll see many new features for the wearable operating system. Google will, however, discuss how developers can take advantage of the OS’ more prominent features like Google Assistant and standalone apps.
It’s also worth noting that the tech giant’s flagship LG Watch Sport is finally shipping in Canada.
Fuchsia
While Google’s third, long-in-development operating system, currently codenamed Fuchsia, has been leaked numerous times, it still hasn’t officially been revealed.
It’s possible Google could use I/O 2017 to reveal Fuchsia’s card-based ‘Armadillo‘ UI that utilizes the tech giant’s ‘Magneta’ kernel instead of Linux like Android.
It’s still unclear, however, what devices Fuchsia is designed to run on, though this is information we may learn at I/O.
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