(Apple will share its updated AI roadmap on June 9 when its WWDC developers conference kicks off.)
Android 16 The presentation featured Android Ecosystem President Sameer Samat, who took over for Burke in 2024.
Though it did not release a stable build of Android 16 today, Samat shared during the show that Android 16 (or at least part of it) is coming next month to Pixel devices.
It’s possible we see more added to Android 16 as the year progresses.
AI, AI and more AI If Google felt the need to split off Android into its own showcase, we’re likely to get more AI-related announcements at I/O than ever before.
On Tuesday, May 20, the search giant’s annual developer conference, Google I/O, will begin. The occasion, which is arguably the most significant on the company’s yearly calendar, gives the company a chance to give a preview of everything it has been working on in the previous year and to put its top priorities for the upcoming year in perspective.
Google reportedly spun off a dedicated Android showcase a full week prior because the dance card for Google I/O was so packed. Visit our liveblog to gain an understanding of how events transpired, or view all of the announcements made during the Android Show. Google can continue to concentrate on its most crucial core competency, artificial intelligence, now that the incident has passed.
Three significant competitors have made announcements in the last few days, which will follow Google’s presentation. Microsoft has already released an updated version of the Copilot AI app at its Build developer conference, which is being held further up the Pacific coast. Jensen Huang, the CEO of NVIDIA, announced a collaboration with Foxconn to create an “AI factory supercomputer” that will be powered by 10,000 Blackwell AI chips during the Computex show in Taiwan. Additionally, Meta hosted its first-ever LlamaCon AI conference last month, but it has since reportedly encountered some obstacles to CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s ambitions for AI domination. When the WWDC developers conference begins on June 9, Apple will unveil its revised AI roadmap. ).
See our post on how to watch the Google I/O 2025 keynote if you want to attend from home and follow along as Google announces. For the latest breaking news, you can visit Engadget as we will be liveblogging the event.
Android 16.
Sameer Samat, who succeeded Burke in 2024 as President of the Android Ecosystem, gave the presentation. During Google’s annual developer conference, Android hasn’t received much attention, as we witnessed Samat and his colleagues demonstrate. Google’s mobile operating system was fortunate enough to take center stage for at least one day during last week’s Android Show breakout.
Android Ecosystem President Sameer Samat, who succeeded Burke in 2024, gave the presentation. Samat and his colleagues demonstrated the new Material 3 Expressive design to us, and the information we learned validated some of the previously leaked features, such as the “Ongoing notifications” bar. Additionally, Material 3 Expressive will be available on Wear OS 6. Additionally, the company is extending the reach of Gemini by integrating it with Google TV, Android Auto, and its smartwatch platform. Additionally, Android is improving its Find Hub, which will support satellite connectivity later this year, and its scam-detection capabilities.
In relation to timing, Google has already officially stated that the new operating system will be available before the year’s second half. Samat mentioned during the show that Android 16—or at least a portion of it—will be available on Pixel devices next month, despite the fact that it did not release a stable build of the operating system today. During the presentation, Guemmy Kim, senior director for Android Product and UX, stated that “we’ll share more on Android XR at I/O next week,” despite the fact that the company did discuss some of the new features anticipated in Android XR. “.
Not only for Android XR, it appears that there is still more to come. The Android Authority report that suggested Google could include a more powerful photo picker that supports cloud storage options was not confirmed to us. It might just be something the company missed in its 30-minute showcase, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be in Android 16. Additionally, rather than waiting for an annual update window to release updates, Google has recently started releasing new Android features on a quarterly basis. As the year goes on, it’s possible that more will be added to Android 16.
Currently in its fourth iteration, Android 16’s beta version is one of the best places to get a sense of what’s to come. Developers have already had access to this version. For example, in March, we found out that Android 16 will support Auracast, which may make switching between Bluetooth devices and listening to music easier. Those who have paired their phones or tablets with their hearing aids may be able to receive Bluetooth audio as a result.
The Android XR.
After putting (at least) three XR projects to the dead end, you would think that even Google would say enough is enough. Do you remember Google Glass? No? How about Daydream? Perhaps Cardboard? Rather, the business is getting ready to launch Android XR, which it first showed off at the end of last year. According to the company, things will be different this time around because of the strength of its Gemini AI models. We are aware of Google and Samsung’s collaboration on the Project Moohan headset code. Samsung made hints about the device’s possible arrival this year last fall.
I imagine the search engine behemoth will have more to say about Android XR and the ecosystem partners it has brought on board for the project, regardless of whether Google and Samsung showcase Project Moohan at I/O. This is consistent with Kim’s statement that more information about Android XR will be shared at I/O.
More, more, more AI.
If Google decided to separate Android into its own showcase, there will probably be more announcements about AI at I/O than ever before. In that regard, the company hasn’t given us many clues, but I’d venture that features like AI Overviews and AI Mode will experience significant updates. In addition, I believe Google will discuss Project Mariner, the web-surfing agent it demonstrated at I/O 2024. In any case, every I/O going forward will reflect the fact that Google is now an AI company.
Initiative Astra.
In relation to AI, Google’s Project Astra demo at I/O 2024 was among the more striking examples. The technology offered something we hadn’t seen from Google before by utilizing the most recent multi-modal capabilities of the company’s Gemini models. This voice assistant can have conversations about what it sees thanks to its sophisticated image recognition capabilities. Google hopes Project Astra will eventually produce a useful artificial assistant.
But the Engadget team thought the technology needed a lot more work after seeing an in-person demonstration of Astra. We might get an update on Project Astra at I/O 2025, considering the impact it made the previous year.
a rival to Pinterest.
A report from The Information suggests that Google may be preparing to introduce its own version of Pinterest at I/O. The Information provided that description; however, Engadget team members felt it was more akin to Cosmos based on the features mentioned in the article. Cosmos is a simplified version of Pinterest that allows users to curate and save anything they come across online. You can also share the pages you’ve saved with other people.
Meanwhile, Google’s version is said to display image results according to your search terms, and you can save the images in various folders according to your own tastes. Let’s say you’re creating a lookbook inspired by Blackpink’s Jennie. You can look up her ensembles and bookmark your favorites in a folder you might call “Lewks,” maybe.
It is unclear whether this is a stand-alone product or merely integrated into Search, and we will have to wait until I/O to find out whether the report was correct and what the feature actually is.
Utilize OS.
Google did not mention Wear OS in the company’s main keynote last year, but during the developer sessions that followed, the company did give a sneak peek at Wear OS 5. Wear OS 5.1 for Pixel devices was only released by the company in March. Wear OS 6 is on the horizon, as we already learned at the Android Show this year, and its interface will feature Material 3 Expressive. It’s uncertain if we’ll find out more at I/O, but it wouldn’t be shocking if Wear OS only received that much airtime this year.
NotepadLM.
Rather than waiting for I/O, Google has already released a stand-alone NotebookLM application. Available in desktop browsers since 2023, the machine-learning note-taking app can synthesize complete NPR-style podcast summaries in addition to summarizing documents.
All other things.
The chances of Google surprising us are slim because of the company’s dismal record of stopping leaks from within its own ranks. However, Google might make an unexpected announcement. As usual, the best option is to go to Engadget on May 20 and 21. We’ll have our liveblog, analysis, and the most recent Google news at that time.
Updated at 7:08 PM ET on May 5, 2025: Information about a blog post that was leaked about “Material 3 Expressive” has been added to this story. “.
Update, May 6, 2025, 5:29 PM ET: Information about the Android 16 beta and Auracast support has been added to this story.
Updated at 3:20 PM ET on May 8, 2025: This story has been updated with information on how to watch the Google I/O keynote and the Android Show. Additionally, the introduction has been changed to make it more interesting.
Updated at 3:22 PM ET on May 13, 2025: This story has been updated to reflect all of the Android Show announcements as well as a recent report from The Information regarding a potential image search feature that could make its debut at I/O. In order to accurately reflect the events that have transpired since this article was last updated, the introduction was also revised.
Updated at 4:32 PM ET on May 14, 2025: This article now includes information about Microsoft Build 2025 and Computex 2025, two events that coincide with Google I/O.
Update, May 19, 2025, 5:13 PM ET: Contextualized last rumors and reports before I/O, along with updated competing AI news from Microsoft, Meta, and NVIDIA.
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