Looking back since the year began, June has been the busiest month in the world of technology and entertainment. Everything kicked off with E3 2012, then Apple's WWDC hogged the spotlight. After that we had Microsoft announcing its Surface tablet, and a few days later, Windows Phone Summit developer conference took place. That might seem a lot for one month alone, but it isn't over yet folks. The final big tech conference for the month of June is the Google I/O developer conference, and we are here to tell you what you should, and should not expect. So get your seatbelts on, the ride begins now.
What to expect:
Android Jellybean
Android 4.0 aka Ice Cream Sandwich is nowhere close to being on 50% of all Android devices, yet Google is already putting heavy focus on the next update of Android, which goes by the name Jellybean. We expect Jelly Bean to be an incremental update rather than a major revision, and this is a good thing. Ice Cream Sandwich brought major changes to the Android platform that really sets it apart from competing operating systems such as iOS. By making big changes with Jelly Bean, Google would risk angering developers and hardware partners that are still trying to fully get around licking the Ice Cream Sandwich.
Google Nexus Tablet
The rumors of a 7-inch Android tablet with the Google Nexus branding is plentiful on the Internet, leaving us to believe strongly that Google I/O 2012 will usher in the Google Nexus Tablet. Recently another rumor popped up with claims of an Asus representative confirming the Nexus tablet release date in June, which if true, would mean the device would definitely be announced on Wednesday.
Apple Siri competitor, "Majel."
It has been long said that Google is working on its own voice assistance for Android that will compete with Siri. Reports from various sources claim Google's voice assistance is called Majel, and will be built upon Google Voice Actions. Expect Majel announcement during Google's demonstration of Jelly Bean and all its features.
Project Glass
Show stopper? You betcha, Jim. Google made known to the world about its wearable computing ambitions with Project Glass, and while we haven't seen many real world use of the thing apart from a video of some guy jumping around on a trampoline, our minds are blown nonetheless. The Google I/O developer conference is the right place for the company to formally announce Project Glass, and get developers onboard before it is ready to hit shelves in 2013.
ChromeOS
Google's ChromeOS failed to take off in a way the company would have been pleased with. Still, Google is adding new features and getting support from hardware manufacturers so it is only a matter of time before the honeypot is found. We've seen a few Chromebooks released this year, mainly from Samsung, a company that has put a lot of weight behind ChromeOS since it got announced back in 2010.
Google TV
Another failed product, another Google I/O to try and set things on the right track. Google TV was the talk of the show when it was first announced. So many believed it to be a game changer, but as it turned out, Google TV can't even change a channel. It will be interesting to see what the company has to say to convince hardware partners to give the platform another shot at stardom.
What not to expect:
Android Accessories
Google I/O 2011 was a bit on the boring side. The company talked a lot about Android device accessories, many of which have yet to hit the market. If Google wants to one up Microsoft and return to the top of the discussion boards, it needs to focus on what is important going forward to better compete with its competitors.
SmartGlass like feature for Android
Microsoft turned many heads when it announced SmartGlass back at E3. We are sure Google sees how important this is and is hard at work trying to come up with something similar. However, we doubt the company has gone that far in to display anything at Google I/O.
An end to Android's fragmentation
Every year, many look forward to Google talking about a strategy that will forever put an end to the nasty problem of fragmentation, and to this date, it has not materialized. Google made its bed and now the company has no choice but to sleep in it. If you think Android fragmentation can be fixed, think again.
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