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Google I\/O is approaching rapidly<\/a>. Google’s big developer conference starts on May 19 and will be available to stream live for anyone not invited to the keynote in California. Although you likely won’t get a look at the company’s upcoming Pixel products, the presentation will include several software announcements \u2014 although we don’t really know what Google has planned. <\/p>\n Last year the company made many interesting announcements. We got our first look at Android XR, Google’s platform for smart glasses; After an initial beta period, general rollout of AI modes for Search; Official rollout of Gemini Live on iPhone; Try It On, a feature that lets you try on clothes virtually; And new AI models across Google’s product line. Similar announcements are likely this year, although rumors are sparse. That said, we can make some educated guesses here to find out what Google is planning: <\/p>\n Like most tech companies, Google is also working completely on AI right now. This is not going to change with I\/O 2026. In fact, expect to see a lot of new AI announcements in both features and performance. Keep an eye on updates to the company’s big AI products, like Veo (AI video), Nano Banana (AI images), Lyria (AI music), and Gemma (lightweight open models). <\/p>\n Speaking of AI, chances are good that we’ll see a new version of Gemini at this year’s event. Gemini is Google’s flagship AI, encompassing both its chatbots and AI models. This likely means new models that are faster and more capable than previous iterations. Google has been going full speed ahead on Gemini news lately, adding the technology to Google Maps, incorporating nano bananas into chatbots, and changing the way we deal with mental health. I’m fully expecting to see some major Gemini updates at I\/O 2026 \u2013 even if the rumor mill is notably quiet. <\/p>\n Google has been beta testing Android 17 since February, although it’s definitely a minor update so far. That doesn’t mean Google is skimping on new features: The update includes the ability to natively remap gaming controllers for the first time on Android, as well. Run apps in “bubbles”<\/a> You can keep them minimized on the screen until you’re ready to use them. <\/p>\n Interestingly, the company decided to introduce the Android portion of the 2025 event at its keynote, which it called “The Android Show.” This freed up Google to talk about AI at the main I\/O keynote. As of now, there are no plans for another “Android Show” this year, so I expect any Android 17 news to be included in the main event. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n What do you think so far? Google announced Android XR at its I\/O event last year<\/a>. The pitch focuses on a HUD that displays Android elements in your view \u2013 including things like messages and Google Maps. It also includes Gemini Live integration, which makes sense. (What good are smart glasses without an assistant that can see what you see?) At the time, Google announced several partnerships for its smart glasses platform, including Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. Perhaps we’ll learn about some Android XR-powered Glasses this year, as well as a timeline for when we can buy them. <\/p>\n Smart glasses are a growing market, with more companies and products. But with that growth also comes legitimate security concerns. When anyone can buy a pair of glasses with microscopic, embedded cameras, how does that square with the masses who might not want to be filmed all the time \u2013 especially without their knowledge? Some people are already taking countermeasures: This app can track people wearing smart glasses, if the frames themselves aren’t clear. We’ll have to see how Google handles privacy and security with Android XR\u2014though the company isn’t necessarily known for privacy. <\/p>\n Google may also take this opportunity to talk about aluminum os<\/a>The company’s mission is to combine Android and ChromeOS. The idea is to design a version of Android for the desktop \u2014 not just extend Android to run on larger displays. I’m not sure if Google will share Aluminum OS development at I\/O 2026, but if there was an event for it, this would be it. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nGoogle will almost certainly reveal more AI at I\/O <\/h2>\n
We’ll likely see some details of Android 17 <\/h2>\n
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\n <\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nGoogle may announce Android XR news at I\/O <\/h2>\n
aluminum os<\/h2>\n