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Title: Google I/O 2025: What to expect over the next two weeks on Android 16,
Android XR and Gemini

Date: Thu, 08 May 2025 19:20:50 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-io-2025-wh...

In about two weeks, Google's annual developer conference will kick off on May
20. The event is probably the most important on the company's calendar,
offering a glimpse at everything it has been working on over the past year.

From the rumors and even information Google has trickled out, I/O 2025 should
be one of the more exciting tech keynotes in recent memory. Plus, for the
first time, Google has spun out a dedicated Android showcase planned a whole
week earlier. That's in just a few days. We've gathered all the most credible
reports and leaks to satiate your curiosity if you've been wanting to know
what to expect from the company at both those events.

Also, if you'd like to tune in from home and follow along as Google makes its
announcements, check out our article on how to watch the Android Show and
Google I/O. We'll also be liveblogging both events, so you can just come to
Engadget for the breaking news.

Android 16

In years past, some of my favorite I/O moments involved watching Dave Burke
take to the Shoreline stage to talk about the latest updates for Android. But
for the past couple of years, Android hasn't had much of a spotlight at
Google's annual developer conference. That's about to change, with the
company hosting a dedicated showcase that will air a week before I/O proper.
Scheduled for May 13, Google says it has "so many things to share" during the
Android Show: I/O Edition.

Get a front row seat to The Android Show: I/O Edition 🍿 May 13, 10 AM PT.

Meet our team and learn about new experiences coming to Android.

Set a reminder and be the first in the know → https://t.co/z8QLNSYkl6
#TheAndroidShow pic.twitter.com/RTzTOwUtFN

ΓÇö Android (@Android) April 28, 2025

The presentation will feature Android Ecosystem President Sameer Samat, who
took over for Burke in 2024. As for what to expect from Samat and company, a
preview of Android 16 is an obvious bet. Google has already confirmed the new
operating system will arrive sometime before the second half of the year. As
such, it may even release a stable build of Android 16 that same day. One
feature Google could announce for Android 16 is Live Activities-like "Ongoing
notifications". Per Android Authority, Google could also add a more robust
photo picker, with support for cloud storage solutions.

We've also seen lots of hints at an upcoming design change to the platform,
reportedly called Material 3 Expressive. The most damning (or credible)
indication that this is real is the recent self-leak by Google, which was
caught by 9to5Google and remains archived and visible on the Wayback Machine.
This leaked blog post discusses the research behind Material 3 Expressive and
how the visual overhaul led to action elements standing out more and greater
responsiveness on the users' part. According to the post, "When participants
were asked to ΓÇ£Send the emailΓÇ¥ in the app, their eyes saw the button 4x
faster in the expressive design."

One of the best places to get an idea for what's to come in Android 16 is in
its beta version, which has already been available to developers and is
currently in its fourth iteration. For example, we learned in March that
Android 16 will bring Auracast support, which could make it easier to listen
to and switch between multiple Bluetooth devices. This could also enable
people to receive Bluetooth audio on hearing aids they have paired with their
phones or tablets.

Android XR

Remember Google Glass? No, how about Daydream? Maybe Cardboard? After sending
(at least) three XR projects to the graveyard, you would think even Google
would say enough is enough. Instead, the company is preparing to release
Android XR after previewing the platform at the end of last year. This time
around, the company says the power of its Gemini AI models will make things
different. We know Google is working with Samsung on a headset codenamed
Project Moohan. Last fall, Samsung hinted that the device could arrive
sometime this year.

Whether Google and Samsung demo Project Moohan at I/O, I imagine the search
giant will have more to say about Android XR and the ecosystem partners it
has worked to bring to its side for the initiative.

AI, AI and more AI

If Google felt the need to split off Android into its own showcase, we're
likely to get more AI-related announcements at I/O than ever before. The
company hasn't provided many hints about what we can expect on that front,
but if I had to guess, features like AI Overviews and AI Mode are likely to
get substantive updates. I suspect Google will also have something to say
about Project Mariner, the web-surfing agent it demoed at I/O 2024. Either
way, Google is an AI company now, and every I/O moving forward will reflect
that.

Project Astra

Speaking of AI, Project Astra was one of the more impressive demos Google
showed off at I/O 2024. The technology made the most of the latest multi-
modal capabilities of Google's Gemini models to offer something we hadn't
seen before from the company. It's a voice assistant with advanced image
recognition features that allows it to converse about the things it sees.
Google envisions Project Astra one day providing a truly useful artificial
assistant.

However, after seeing an in-person demo of Astra, the Engadget crew felt the
tech needed a lot more work. Given the splash Project Astra made last year,
there's a good chance we could get an update on it at I/O 2025.

Wear OS

Last year, Wear OS didn't get a mention during the company's main keynote,
but Google did preview Wear OS 5 during the developer sessions that followed.
The company only began rolling out Wear OS 5.1 to Pixel devices in March.
Given that, you might expect Google wouldn't have much new to share, but the
official Wear OS X account told fans to watch the Android Show for updates.

NotebookLM

Since 2023, Google has offered NotebookLM on desktop. The note-taking app
uses machine learning for features like automated summaries. Based on App
Store and Google Play listings, the company is getting ready to release a
mobile version of the service on the first day of I/O 2025.

Everything else

Google has a terrible track record when it comes to preventing leaks within
its internal ranks, so the likelihood the company could surprise us is low.
Still, Google could announce something we don't expect. As always, your best
bet is to visit Engadget on May 20 and 21. We'll have all the latest from
Google then along with our liveblog and analysis.

Update, May 5 2025, 7:08PM ET: This story has been updated to include details
on a leaked blog post discussing "Material 3 Expressive."

Update, May 6 2025, 5:29PM ET: This story has been updated to include details
on the Android 16 beta, as well as Auracast support.

Update, May 8 2025, 3:20PM ET: This story has been updated to include details
on how to watch the Android Show and the Google I/O keynote, as well as tweak
the intro for freshness.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-io-2025-wh...
weeks-on-android-16-android-xr-and-gemini-203044392.html?src=rss

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