Top 6 predictions for Google I/O

The official dates for Google I/O were announced earlier this month; the developer conference will occur in San Francisco May 28 and May 29, and you can bet all eyes interested in technology will be focused on news coming out of the Moscone Center. That got us thinking – what might the global tech company have up their sleeve this year?

Rumors abound regarding Android Wear, Lollipop, Cardboard and even autonomous vehicles. Only those within the inner sanctum know with certainty what will be revealed. However, Electronic Products is going to make a few guesses at what we predict will be the top six highlights of this year’s Google I/O.

1) Self-driving cars
Is there anything hotter than technologically advanced cars right now? In late December, Google unveiled the first fully functional prototype of its self-driving car, which the company says it is testing on roads in the Bay Area this year. Google I/O would be the perfect platform for revealing the results of those road tests and setting the world up for the very real fact that drivers will soon be on the roads alongside cars being navigated by AI.  

2) Android Wear
Android Wear, the series of smartwatch devices powered by Google but made by manufacturers such as LG, Motorola, and Samsung, captured a weak 15% of the total “smart wearable bands” market in 2014, and that market share may drop even further when Apple releases its smartwatch in the first half of this year. But you can be certain that Google knows these statistics and figures better than anyone else, and they are likely ramping up efforts to release a new and improved Android Wear 2.0 this year. Obstacles such as competing with a very hot fitness wearables industry as well as a less-than-stellar battery life have faced Android Wear since its official launch at last year’s I/O conference. However, we’re betting that Google is ready to provide some answers and next-generation updates in an increasingly competitive space, and Google I/O 2015 would be the perfect place to do that.

3) Project Ara
In full disclosure, I am an iPhone user (have been since 2010), and I can’t even begin to estimate the amount of money I’ve spent on cases and other protective mechanisms that give me some glimmer of hope that my phone will remain intact until my contract is up and I can upgrade to the latest version. So a phone that is comprised entirely of interchangeable parts essentially blows my mind, but that’s just what Google’s Project Ara is creating. As Google has indicated in announcements regarding the project, the phone will be made up of parts that can be swapped out to modify performance or functionality, and even to upgrade the device as desired. Google has announced that prototype testing will occur later this year in Puerto Rico, so we’re betting that the company will be making some announcement regarding Project Ara at this year’s Google I/O.

4) Project Tango
Announced in early 2014, Project Tango is an Android smartphone-like device made to track the 3D motion of the device then create a 3D model of the environment around it. Coming out of Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects group (ATAP), we’ve got to believe that Google knows very well the potential implications for gaming and augmented reality, which remain two very hot spaces for consumers. For that reason, and given the fact that it has been a while since we’ve heard a detailed update on the project, Electronic Products predicts that Project Tango is definitely going to be on the agenda for the I/O conference in May.

5) Android Lollipop
One of the major hurdles facing the extensive use of Lollipop is that the phone manufacturers have been the ones responsible for updating their existing phones to the new version of Google’s operating system. Everyone has been on a different timeline, so the roll-out has been a little bumpy. However, by the time I/O rolls around in late May, we anticipate that most – if not all – Android phones should be running the Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system. That will be just in time for Google to unveil the next-gen, new-and-improved Android Lollipop 5.5. So, we’re calling it now – expect to see version 5.5 of the mobile operating system at Google I/O 2015.

6) Google for Kids
Google made some promises last year that it would begin focusing development efforts on the creation of kid-friendly platforms that would give parents some peace of mind. We’re long past the days of being able to shield kids from the use of the Internet and all of the sites – good, bad and ugly – that come along with the ever-expanding boundaries (what boundaries?) of the World Wide Web. So, Google announced last year that it had big plans for releasing kid-friendly versions of many of its services, including Chrome, YouTube, search, and more. The launch of a kid-friendly version of YouTube, appropriately dubbed “YouTube Kids,” occurred earlier this week, and the new app is already available in the Play Store and should hit iOS in the coming weeks. This new version of the video-sharing service features large icons and minimal scrolling and is targeted to children ages 12 and below. When announcing the release of “YouTube Kids,” Google reiterated that there’s more to come in the kid-friendly space, stating “This is just our first step—we’ll keep tinkering and hope to have more great products for your family soon.” As such, Electronic Products predicts more announcements within this vein at this year’s Google I/O. 

Of course, many contend (and rightly so) that there will be additional announcements coming out of the conference regarding Google’s Cardboard VR Viewer , Android TV and the company’s Material Design language . We’re also betting that Google Glass will be a topic of conversation this year. Following the January announcement that Glass would be withdrawing from the market, some wondered whether the over-hyped technology might be retiring to an early grave. But the company maintains that it is rebuilding the technology, and have put their money where their mouths are with the appointment of former iPod creative manager Tony Fadell as the leader of a team invested in reinventing Google Glass.

Only time will tell what the big announcements will be during the May conference, but we’re betting that the technologies unveiled and previewed during Google I/O will make big ripples throughout the industry in the coming year.