It’s that time of year again.
The Google I/O 2015 annual developer conference is scheduled to kick off in San Francisco on 28 May. Tickets already went on sale in March and were priced around $900 for general admission or $300 for academic admission.
If you weren’t able to score one, you could simply tune into Google’s live-streamed keynote. The company uses the time-slot to not only make major announcements, but also make headlines (like when it did a skydiving demo in 2012).
The keynote, which is expected to begin at 9:30 AM PST, should last about 2.5 hours. Pocket-lint has browsed through all the speculation and rumours in order to round up everything Google might discuss during its lengthy presentation.
We’ve also included pertinent information and plan to continually update this article as Google I/O gets closer and more details about the conference/keynote leak online (or are confirmed by Google), so keep checking back for the latest.
READ: Google I/O 2015 will start on 28 May
How and where can you watch the keynote?
Google’s I/O webpage has everything you need to know about the main keynote’s live stream and other events being streamed during the two-day conference. You can go here to learn specifics about the main keynote, though we will embed the keynote’s live-stream video into this article whenever it becomes available.
Note: We’ve embedded a recap of last year’s conference (above) for the time being.
What can you expect from the keynote?
Here’s a list of things most likely to pop up or occur during Google I/O 2015, based on detailed confirmed by Google as well as various unconfirmed reports and speculation:
Sundar Pichai
Sundar Pichai is scheduled to start the main keynote. He is a senior vice president at Google, where he oversees several things, including Android, Chrome, and Google Apps. We can therefore expect Google’s keynote to at least focus on something related to one of those three products/businesses.
Android M
During previous Google I/O conferences, Google unveiled the next version of Android. We now know the company plans to do the same thing this year. It hasn’t confirmed anything, but its Google I/O website has listed an event session with a description that included a reference to “Android M”, according to The Verge.
The session is now longer listed on the website, but the rumour mill is already at work, with most reports speculating Android M is a codename for the next version of Android. When Google announced Android 5.0 in 2014, it debuted the software as “Android L” before designating “Lollipop” as the final name awhile later.
Keep in mind Google follows a specific naming convention: an alphabetical list of deserts, meaning the next version was always thought to start with the letter M. It’s also not expected to be a big overhaul, as Lollipop was a huge update that brought Material Design, so it’ll likely roll out with a just a few features and tweaks.
It’s unclear when Android M will roll out, but we’d place our bet on this summer or the second half of the year.
Google Glass 2.0
Google killed the Google Glass Explorer program in January, leading everyone to believe the product was a short-lived fad and a result of tech-bubble hype, even though Google confirmed it would continue working on Glass.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Google did continue working on it, and we should see a new version this year with an Intel chip. Glass first debuted at Google I/O, so it’s likely the latest version will appear during this year’s keynote.
READ: Google Glass: A brief history
What else could you hope to see?
Here’s a list of things in need of an update, and because of that, Google might use Google I/O as a platform for announcing improvements or changes to these things (consider it a wish-list, if you will):
Project Ara
Project Ara, which is Google’s modular device project, is supposed to be heading toward a limited market pilot in 2015, according to the Project Ara website, so it would make since for Google to launch that pilot during Google I/O. That said, Project Ara is currently beginning a test phase in Puerto Rico.
Yezz also told Pocket-lint at Mobile World Congress 2015 that Project Ara will make its way to the world from August. Yezz, which has been tasked with module creation, claimed it is the first company to work with Google on Project Ara.
Android TV
Android TV is Google’s latest attempt to take over your living room. Google heavily pushed Android TV last year and at CES 2015, so we’d be extremely surprised if Google I/O passed by without any announcements from the company regarding Android TV software updates or even new hardware partnerships.
READ: Android TV vs Samsung Tizen vs Firefox OS vs LG webOS
Android Auto
We’d love to see some news on Android Auto, a variant of Google’s mobile OS that controls in-car infotainment systems, but because the technology is still relatively young, we don’t expect major software updates. If anything, Google might announce partnerships with more car manufacturers and makers of in-car units.
We’d also like to see Google’s self-driving car appear at I/O. A consumer model is obviously still years away from launch, but a demonstration of a working prototype would still be nice to witness.
Android Wear
Android Wear, Google’s smartwatch operating system, is already available with a number of wearables, but it would be amazing to see Google launch its own hardware – alongside an updated version of the Android Wear. Unfortunately, there’s no solid rumours about such a device at this time.
Here’s to wishful thinking!
READ: Android Wear review
Project Tango
And finally, Project Tango… Google’s 3D-sensing tablets and smartphones have been in the hands of developers for quite some time now, so Google I/O might focus on some interesting apps from those developers. We’re at least hoping we’ll hear more about where the project is going, but who knows really.
Want to know more?
Google has released the full schedule for its I/O developer conference. Feel free to browse through that in order to parse together bits of information and determine what else might be discussed during the main keynote and other sessions.
According to one session description, for instance, Google’s Advanced Technology and Products group will debut a new Spotlight Story directed by Justin Lin. It’s a “live action short” that will be displayed in “full 360 with 3D soundsphere”.
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