Google I/O 2016 is an exclusive developer conference. Ever since 2013, the conference will be held over a period of full three days from May 18-20 at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California. From virtual reality, Android N to self-driving cars, this event is bound to give some big headlines, announcements and products launches.
Here is what to expect from Google I/O 2016
Android N
While in the past I/O events have been used to launch the latest Android updates, this year will be different as the developer preview version of Android N was released two months back ahead of the conference. This event is likely to witness major announcements about Android N features, including revealing what N stands for.
Virtual Reality
With seven sessions and an entire track devoted to VR and AR in the conference, VR is expected to one of the major themes at Google I/O 2016. The primary VR session titled “VR at Google: what we have built, what we have learned and where we are headed” will be hosted by Clay Bavor, who leads Google’s new Virtual Reality division.
Driverless cars
The choice of Google I/O’s location has sparked rumors of demos of driverless cars, and even the idea that I/O attendees could be transported around in the new vehicles. However, with Google’s autonomous car mishap few months back, there are speculations whether this would happen or not. I/O schedules clearly mentions about shuttles buses to reach Shoreline Amphitheater and nothing about driverless taxis.
Android Wear
With Apple Watch’s impressive debut, a complete overhaul of Android Wear is expected soon. While Android Wear was among the first entrant in the wearable, its development has been sluggish. It is very crucial time for Android wear given the increasing competition and we can expect Google considering to develop its own device.
Project Fi
Google’s robust carrier-switching Project Fi is available only for Nexus users. We can expect that Google I/O 2016 would be a perfect platform to announce the service availability to more smartphone owners.
Project Aura
Project Aura is Google Glass 2.0 with slightly revised design and a larger prism. While the consumer version of Google Glass may be a closed case, Aura might be the supposedly enterprise version.
Smart Home
Ever since Google’s acquisition of Nest, its aspirations about smart home are well known. Google also launched OnHub, a wireless router last year and introduced Project Brillo, an exclusive operating system for the development of smart home apps. We can expect Google making announcements related to Internet of Things at I/O 2016.