What to Expect During Google’s 2015 I/O Conference

What to Expect During Google’s 2015 I/O Conference

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New Android version, Project ARA and more!

Google’s annual developer conference, I/O is right around the corner. While it’s an event meant to touch base with developers around the world to share their vision for Android, it’s become THE event to see where the OS is going. Last year we saw Google announce Android L’s features before it became known as Lollipop and the company’s new Android One initiative that landed in the Philippines earlier this year. This year’s I/O is going to be no different, and here’s what you can expect from the company during their keynote on Friday:

Google IO

A peek at Android M

Android M is the next evolution of the Android OS story, and much like last year, Google will certainly be taking everybody through the new features of the OS. Rumors are circulating that Google will be keeping the material design look of Lollipop for M and instead will expand M’s featurelist through better performance (duh), better RAM management for all the high RAM equipped phones, native multi-window support and better voice controls. You can also expect native support for fingerprint readers, which may mean more fingerprint-reading phones in the near future.

And since Google has apparently taken a liking to the idea of releasing developer previews for their next Android iteration (they did the same thing back for Lollipop last year) they may do the same thing this year, giving devs and amateur coders a first look at the next version of Android.

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Project ARA

Google’s modular phone dream, Project ARA is expected to make an appearance during I/O, if only to keep the masses updated on what’s happening with the project. The team behind Project ARA is slated to talk on day 2 of I/O, and we would be surprised if they didn’t show us something new with the platform by then. Of course, the team may also have something up their sleeve to surprise us all during their slot, so we’ll be keeping a close eye on them on day 2.

The evolution of Cardboard

The biggest surprise last year was the unassuming cardboard slab that formed the basis of Google Cardboard, the company’s take on a cheap, VR system for phones. This year it seems that the company may be taking the concept further, in a bid to gain lost ground ceded to its competitors like Facebook and Microsoft. Google is said to be developing a new version of Android that’s specifically made for VR according to the Wall Street Journal, which officially makes the goofy, cardboard side project into a full blown effort with tens of engineers on the job.

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Android One update

Google’s Android One initiative was an ambitious one from the get go, but the results speak for themselves: the initiative that first started in India has now reached the Philippines, along with other ASEAN countries and European countries as well. This year we might see a further expansion of the initiative into more territories and more importantly, a slew of new products and phones for Android One. Before we forget, Google’s own Caesar Sengupta also promised that Android One devices will be the first to receive the M update when it launches – we’ll see on Friday if they follow through with their promise. 

Google’s big surprise

Each year Google tries to keep everybody on their toes by announcing something from left field. Last year’s biggest surprise was the el cheapo VR headset made from cardboard, Google Cardboard. We’re hoping to see something similar from the search company on Friday.

Google’s I/O starts at 12:30 AM (our time) on Friday, and you can catch it streaming live from their campus by clicking on this link.

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