All you need to know about this year’s Google I/O

Google’s I/O event was held in San Francisco on 25^th June 2014 amid high expectations for announcement of new Android 5.0, Android TV, Smartwatches, updated Chrome OS.

Google unveiled all these features and much more in their keynote. The company has announced a new design style for its all product range as well as the latest Android which is still being called as “L”. Google also announced Android One phone to woo the budget buyers. It was all about Android and was present everywhere be it mobiles, cars, Android Fit, Smartwatches, TV. Android Fit will be in direct competition with the recently announced Apple’s HealtKit. So we take a jump into all Google announced and delivered.

Android One

As per latest trends, Android head Sundar Pichai started the keynote with staggering figures and showed some impressive stats:1 billion of active users, 20 billion text messages, 93 million selfies a day. These figures are immense but still covers a very small percentage of world’s population. So Google is gearing up to reach people still not riding the smartphone train and have not been able to afford these devices.

Android was always a free OS therefore it was easy for manufacturers to provide cheap Android phones. But as the competition is increasing (Microsoft recently announced free OS for all devices with screen sizes less than 9 inches) Google has to do something to continue on its path of taking over the entire market.

Google has come up with Android One, which is a new set of hardware reference designed specially for developing markets like India. Even the Android One hardware shown during keynote was from our own Indian company Micromax. The device is a 4.5 inch phone with dual sim and FM radio, expected to be under $100. Android One will be using stock Android and will be getting updates directly from Google. The program is going to start from India and then will be expanded worldwide.

Material  Design

Android as an OS was never a cohesively designed software compared to iOS 7 or the latest entrant in mobile OS war game Windows Phone. Now Google has moved in the direction of improving and integrating design language of its products with a new design language which they are calling Material Design. This new design sense will have same feel across all of Google’s web, chrome browser and android devices.

Material Design in itself is colorful, flat and airy which can very well be compared to the Metro/Modern UI introduced by Microsoft in WP7, used in latest iOS 7. In essence all there are not the same but have more or less the same look.

It is a total get away from previous Holo design of Android introduced way back in 4.0.

Android 5.0

It was long awaited by users and developers alike for launch of the next iteration of Android OS for mobile phones. Google did show off its next version with a sneak peek of Android L (wish it’s not named Lollipop).

Google is claiming for L to be how an OS should work no matter which device you are using. This new OS from Google will work on mobiles, TVs, cars, watches. Lock screen has been changed, now notifications will show up over your wallpaper. These notifications are actionable or can be swiped away. Don’t know about others but I wouldn’t want notifications flying over my mobile’s lock screen and people having a look at personal messages.

If any wearable device or car is being paired with your phone, you won’t be quiring a passcode to unlock your phone. Personal unlock searches for familiar things to check if your mobile is with you.

Battery Life Optimization

Android devices have always been blamed of having poor battery life management. Android mobile manufacturers have themselves tried to improve upon this by having their own battery saver systems in place.

Google has now responded to this long pending and important issue by officially including battery saver in OS. It is being called Project Volta which is expected for overall battery optimization. New power saver mode is also included, which is expected to bring around 90 minutes of extra life.

Google Smartwears are here

Google along LG and others in past have been showing off with smartwatches models. Now Google and its partner have announced Android Wears. These are of glanceable notifications which can be navigated through Google Now cards. These notifications will include reminders, notes, playback controls for music, heart rate monitor, alarms, messages.

The smartwatches shown today include LG’s LG G, Samsung Gear Live which is twin of Tizen operated Gear Live from Samsung and last but not the least the Moto 360.

Moto 360 has already been catching attention and it is not wasted, a large piece of round glass with steel and actually looks like a traditional watch, really beautiful. Samsung Gear Live can be preordered at $199.99 and will be shipping in the first week of July.

Kill Switch

After the inclusion of kill switch in iOS 7 it is time for Google to also incorporate this feature in its latest OS. Now Android L will also have a “kill switch” which allows the user to wipe their devices remotely even if it’s stolen and restored to factory settings.

Multitasking apps and Chrome tabs

Android L will now have a feature “recents”, which will stack your windows from Chrome as well as recently used apps into once place looking like a stack of cards. At basic level, it means your multitasking view is likely to get a lot more cluttered. But we don't yet know how people would like to have their number of web pages mixed with current apps. 

Google has revamped Android's multitasking in a big way. It replaces Google's current app-switching interface to give you an easier way to multitask. After all, Google is all about putting web content and phone apps on equal level and wants you to be able to access both easily.



Android Car

Google has officially announced Android Auto for cars which is going to pair your phone with your vehicle. You can cast your phone’s screen to the car’s screen and be able to control navigation , music, calling.

Android Auto is Google’s aim of catching up with Apple’s CarPlay and Micrsosoft’s unnamed windows based UI. Both Android L & Auto will be released before 2014 end.

Android TV

Google has long been trying to have control over your living room. This year Google is trying again with Android TV software, which will run on your TV or set top box. It is like a combination of Google Chromecast and an Apple TV. Content could be broadcasted on TV alongwith popular stuff, apps, games.

Android TV is tied with voice search and Google Knowledge Graph. Now there is one software development kit for all Android form factors. Google is also adding new features for Chromecast TV dongle one of which is the ability to stream content from anywhere instead of requiring to be on same Wi-Fi network as Chromecast.

Desktop

Google demoed apps like Evernote and Vine working , and by year end some more Android apps are expected to be working on Chromebooks. But there is no touch-and-go interaction, as per Google they are still in early days of development.

Google Drive and Office

Finally Google has allowed users to edit Microsoft Office files in Google Drive, which must have put some thinking lines on Redmond’s giant think tank. The new update will remove the need for converting and re-converting of files. A new feature called “suggested edits” will allow different users to edit the documents at the same time and will track changes and commenting on what editing others have done.

Google Fit

Google launched its own Google Fit service to take on Apple’s recently announced HealtKit, a tracker for all iOS health apps. New APIs will allow apps and device manufacturers to feed data into centralized fitness stream.

Google VR

Google also showed its Google VR, which is virtual reality goggles. Google gave the attendees a cardboard frame which could be paired with an Android phone for a makeshift virtual reality headset. This could also be built in home by buying some components and lenses. VR is not a new idea it’s been already in the market for some time now.

So this wraps up the details about Google’s I/O event this year. Hope you have enjoyed it reading. Let us know what's your opinion about all new Google’s  I/O features. Does Google meet the expectations in announcing new features or they missed on some.