What to Expect From Google I/O 2016?

With Google’s Annual Developer Conference, Google I/O just a few hours away from kicking off, we decided that it was as good a time as any to look at what the engineers at Mountain View might have cooked up for us.

One thing, however, to keep in mind, is the fact that Google I/O is geared mostly for the developers and not the consumers. So while chances of seeing the next Nexus tablet or smartphone remains slim, do expect Google to astonish you with a fresh dash of ingenuity!

What to Expect From Google I/O 2016?

While Google may end up throwing a few curve balls at us, for the most part, we have quite a good read on what Google has in store for us this time! However, that doesn’t make us any less excited for it as we cannot hold onto our seats for the technological roller coaster that we are about to embark on once May 18th comes around.

But, first, let us quickly run through what we are expecting to make a big splash at Google I/O 2016.

#1. IoT and Brillo

Last year at I/O, Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai introduced Brillo to the world and gave everyone the first look at Google’s consolidated effort in the IoT space. With Intel kicking up the gear with their Edison platform as well as Samsung jumping into the fray with ARTEK, we expect quite a few new revelations about the Brillo platform from Google this year.

Adding to that, Thread, which had been open-sourced recently has been making waves in the network protocol world of IoT, and we expect that Google would be looking to cash in on these high winds.

#2. Self-Driving Cars

For the past few years, Google has been busy perfecting their self-driving cars and this year at I/O; we expect some more information and maybe even a glimpse into when we might see the cars roll off the production line and into the hands of eager buyers.

Faced with stiff competition from Apple, Uber, Tesla among many others, Google must be facing the heat as other companies seem to be snatching the limelight with their own version of automated cars. We expect quite a few interesting revelations from Google in this field when they take the stage for the keynote tomorrow!

#3. AI and Home Automation

From the highly specialized driving AI, to the all-purpose Google AI called Alpha Go that managed to defeat Lee Sedol in the ancient Chinese game of Go, Google has made rapid progress in the last few years in the AI sector. We expect Sundar Pichai to elaborate on Google’s take on AI as the future of computing when he delivers the Opening Keynote for I/O 2016 tomorrow.

Other than that we also foresee Google launching their very own Alexa competitor as they make their foray into smart hubs and smart home technologies through their recent acquisition- Nest. What else do we expect From Google I/O 2016? Lots of news about Android N, Google Drive and Google Cloud Storage and Enterprise solutions, VR and Google Cardboard, and possibly the first steps towards Chrome and Android Unification.

But that’s what we expect from Google I/O 2016! What about you? Leave us your thoughts on what you wish to see in the comments down below!