Google I/O 2018: How to follow it and what to expect

While a developers’ conference might not sound exciting on the surface, Google uses I/O every year to unveil big new features for Android, and has showcased big-deal hardware and experiences like Android Wear and Google Daydream in the past. We’re only weeks away from I/O 2018, and already the rumour mill is spouting ideas of what we might hear about this time around – and no, it’s probably not the Pixel 3 just yet. Here’s how you can follow the action and what we expect to see.

What we expect #1: Android P exposed

Android 9.0 P was unveiled with a developers’ preview in March but Google always uses I/O to reveal additional new features for its OS, so expect some announcements at the keynote, with a public beta potentially released then too. Its full name could also be confirmed, and with Google recently releasing a wallpaper that prominently features popsicles, could that be what 9.0’s P stands for? It certainly sounds appealing but Google has tried to throw people off the sweet-naming scent in the past, so there’s still a chance it could be Pez, Pie or Praline.

What we expect #2: Wear OS 3.0

Android Wear has underwhelmed over the last couple of years so I/O 2018 would be a good time for Google to unveil a proper Wear OS 3.0 and perhaps a new flagship watch or two worth wearing. Will we finally get a Pixel Watch? A recent dev preview showed a default darker theme, plus better battery life through limiting background apps and stopping the watch from communicating via cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth once it’s off your wrist. If Google wants to renew its wearable battle against the Apple Watch, that better just be the tip of the iceberg.

What we expect #3: Assistant upgrades

Google wants its Assistant to be everywhere and it will stretch far and wide in 2018, hitting 38 more countries with 17 new languages, while the I/O schedule has sessions covering enhanced smart home integration with Google Home as well as features for the smart displays we saw at CES earlier this year. Hopefully that means the smart helper will be even smarter once I/O concludes.

What we expect #4: VR moves

This one’s a longshot, but Google and LG have created an incredibly high-res display that boasts a pixels-per-inch count of 1443 and a 120Hz refresh rate. That could be incredible for virtual reality. It’s destined for Display Week 2018 later in May, but hopefully we’ll get a little taste during I/O 2018. If not, some news on the Daydream front would help it to remain relevant in a world where Samsung’s Gear VR has shown it up and Oculus’s standalone Go headset is just around around the corner. Let’s see some serious VR moves, Google.

And how to watch…

Google always kicks I/O off with a big keynote address to outline its biggest new software and hardware endeavours, and we expect to see that streaming from the official I/O website and YouTube. The keynote takes place at 10am PT in California on 8 May (6pm in London). There should be an Android and iOS app available before the conference begins, as well, which will include streams and schedule info, so keep an eye out for that.