With the countdown to Google I/O now down to a few days, speculation about what new products the company will introduce has reached its peak; however in an interview with Wired, Sundar Pichai has warned this year’s show will be more about developers than consumers, meaning major device launches probably won’t be happening.
Sundar Pichai is the new head of Android at Google, having taken over from Andy Rubin just a few months ago. Wired asked him, simply, what we can expect from I/O this year, and he replied that it would be, “different,” as, “It’s not a time when we have much in the way of launches of new products or a new operating system.”
This comes as quite a blow, as although rumors have been blowing hot and cold concerning Google I/O for several months, there are a variety of exciting Google projects on the horizon, which we hoped would make their debut this week. Now, with Pichai’s words ringing in our ears, any hope of seeing a Google smartwatch, the Motorola X Phone, or even a Nexus 5 is rapidly receding.
The same goes for Android 5.0, and it’s becoming increasingly likely this year’s version of the mobile OS will be another incarnation of Jelly Bean, presumably labeled Android 4.3. If Google is concentrating on developers – which, let’s face it, is really the point of the Google I/O conference anyway – it backs up rumors regarding a new look Maps application, and the introduction of Google Play Games, which may be its Game Center-challenger.
We’re still holding out hope for a revised version of the year-old Nexus 7 tablet, this time equipped with a rear camera, wireless charging and a high definitions screen, plus another look at Google Glass. Beyond this, it may be a quiet event for those not coding Google apps. Don’t worry though, we’ll still be bringing you all the news from Google I/O, which begins on May 15 and runs until May 17.
