Google I/O is the company’s annual developer conference, but it’s also been used to unveil new products, features and services to the world. I/O 2017 has been no different, however the new products have all been app and software related with no major new pieces of hardware being unveiled – if you were hoping to see a Pixel 2, it seems like you’ll have to wait a bit longer.
Here are some of the biggest announcements from Google’s developer conference:
- Android passes 2 billion active users. Google CEO Sundar Pichai said: “It’s a privilege to serve users at this scale,” during the opening minutes of I/O’s keynote. Google Drive has 800 million users while Google Photos has 500 million, with 1.2 billion photos being uploaded every day.
- Google Assistant is now available on iPhone. Yes, you read that correctly, Siri has some competition. Unlike Siri, Google Assistant isn’t baked into the handset, and unlike its Android counterpart, you can’t use Assistant by saying “Ok Google.” This isn’t Google’s fault and is due to Apple’s restrictions with iOS. Is Assistant better than Siri? To some degree it is. Assistant comes across as more natural and conversational when it responds.
- Google Lens. This uses your smartphone camera combined with Google Assistant. Together they’ll be able to use that information for a variety of tasks. One example demonstrated at I/0 2017 showed that you might be able to connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot just by taking a picture of its password, meaning that you wouldn’t have to type that information. If you point your camera at a restaurant, Google Lens will be able to show you the rating of that restaurant directly on your phone’s display. Google Lens is expected to launch later this year.
- Google Photos will also be receiving a few updates. One is Suggested Sharing, which uses machine learning to suggest which photos should be shared with people depending on whether or not they are in the photo. Google also showed off technology which lets you remove objects from a photo after you’ve taken it.
- Android O, launches later this year, and while we don’t know the full name of the new version of the OS (I’m hoping for Oreo), Google did demonstrate that O will be getting improvements to “vitals” like battery life and performance, and bringing more fluid experiences to smartphone screen, from improved notifications to autofill.
- Android Go. This is Google’s attempt to bring the Android OS to lower end smartphones. The company says that Android Go will be optimised to run on handsets with 1GB RAM or lower. Google says “Android Go is designed with features relevant for people who have limited data connectivity and speak multiple languages.” Apps will be designed to use less memory, less storage space and less data.
These are just a few of the highlights of what Google announced at I/O 2017. One thing is certain, Google is making AI and machine learning the focus of all its endeavours moving forward.
