There’s less than a week left until Microsoft kicks off its developer feat, otherwise known as the Build conference, slated to begin May 6 in Seattle. If you’re not lucky enough to score tickets to this event, or just want to catch up on what’s happening in the Microsoft world, we’ll show you how to watch the keynote and give you some ideas on what to expect from the show this year.
Like previous years, Microsoft is expected to deliver a livestream of this year’s keynote sessions. There are several keynotes for the conference, all scheduled on the first day of the conference. Starting at 8:30 a.m. PT on Monday, May 6, Microsoft will deliver its Vision keynote, which will give users insights into the future of Windows. Following the Vision keynote, Microsoft will offer two technical keynotes at 11 a.m. The technical keynotes will show developers how to leverage Microsoft’s latest technologies in their products. You can check out the full agenda for Build through Microsoft’s portal. The conference will conclude on Wednesday, May 8.
On May 6, Microsoft will host the livestream on its site. Be sure to also check our Build coverage hub at Digital Trends to stay up to date with the latest Microsoft news from the conference.
What to expect
Given that Build is a developer-centric conference, Microsoft will likely not make any major hardware announcements at the show. Like last year’s keynote, you can expect not to see any Surface refreshes. That doesn’t mean that hardware won’t be making an appearance during the keynote. In previous years, Microsoft showed collaboration can be done using devices like the Surface Hub and Windows Mixed Reality headsets. Last year, Microsoft also showed how it is leveraging its work in artificial intelligence to deliver its vision for the future last year, including the integration of Cortana with Amazon’s Alexa assistant.
Though the hype had largely died down after Microsoft announced that it was shelving plans on releasing its Project Andromeda dual-screen phone, there was renewed hope that the hardware and new Windows Lite operating system could make an appearance at Build. However, a recent report indicates that Windows Lite may not be ready in time, and Andromeda may be dead. If the latest report is accurate, we may have to wait until a later date to hear more on the Windows Core OS.
Likely, we’ll hear more about Microsoft’s efforts in building its rebuilding its Edge browser with Chromium code, more apps, its latest efforts in A.I., and new features for the upcoming Fall Update for Windows 10. Microsoft has also taken an interest in being a stronger and more responsible corporate entity, and like last year, we may hear more about how the company is using its technology for good.
