Last year Google introduced the Google Home, its attempt to take on the Amazon Echo smart speaker. What does the company have planned for this year’s annual I/O developer conference?
On Wednesday, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and other executives will take the stage at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California, to announce the company’s latest hardware and software news.
They’re expected to show off Google Assistant’s expanded powers and reach. It’s rumored to be coming to Apple’s iPhone. Google’s still nameless voice assistant is competing against Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana for the next generation of voice-controlled devices.
It will likely share the latest about its low-budget virtual reality projects, the cloth-covered Daydream and the scrappy Cardboard viewer.
Google announced the Android O mobile operating system earlier this year, but I/O is an opportunity the company to show off any flashy new features. Google might even divulge what treat the O stands for (Oreos? An Oh Henry! bar?).
The company will also preview new Android Auto features. Earlier this week, Audi and Volvo announced they will feature built-in “infotainment” systems powered by Android that can be used without a phone. Look for KITT-like voice assistant features behind the wheel too.
We’ll be reporting live from the event with all the product news, big and small.