Google I/O 2014: What do you expect/want to see?

[Dolorian]

With Apple and Microsoft events done, now it is Google's turn. What do you expect or would like to see Google to unveil at this year's I/O?

For one, I hope the Project Hera rumors materialize and we see it at I/O. Google has been working towards this along with a consistent design language and experience across their products for a while now. The whole continuous client (along with combined actionable notifications across Android/Chrome) feature is what Hera is supposed to be about so I hope we get that.

According to Duarte, this year they are focusing a lot on design and indeed plenty of the session in the schedule are centered around that, particularly around cross platform design which could probably mean that some form of integration between Android and Chrome will be unveiled, which is, again, what Project Hera is supposed to be. Looking forward to that.

I think we'll get the official word on Android Silver and whether or not it will replace the Nexus line of devices (I think it will). By the looks of it, Silver is but the next step in the move by Google to make their Android "experience" independent of the actual Android version running on the device, making things accessible via the Google Play Services extension (which devices with Android versions as old as Gingerbread can use). My take is that besides the marketing boost, Android Silver partners will get access to some APIs and features not available to others, making the program attractive to potential partners.

Aside from that, I am sure we'll see plenty of Android Wear showing no doubt the LG Watch and Moto 360 in action. There is also Android TV which will likely be a top box similar to Apple TV and FireTV. No doubt it will have Chromecast integration as well.

 

[Technarchy]

As long as there isn't any of the Sergey Brin Google Glass skydiving nonsense like from 2012, it should be interesting.

Hopefully the aesthetic of android is dolled up a bit. It's so stale when unskinned.

 

[Dr McKay]

I want to see Larry Page kept off stage. His voice irritates me. I know he suffers from a paralysed voice box but last time he droned on and on and after 10 minutes I muted the livestream.

 

[jamezr]

It would be nice to hear more about the Android Silver line.......

 

[spinedoc77]

Honestly I'd like to see them polish and fix Android, nothing else. Apple did nothing but polish and hone their software this time around, and I must say I'm impressed the more I read about the features they added and/or polished. Android continues to have so many things wrong with it, on the whole it's a great OS but it desperately needs polish and attention.

We won't see hardware anyway if the rumor of Google not making Nexus devices anymore is true. So they might as well fully focus on the OS. Also I'd love to see more separation from the carriers, Google has done a great job distancing themselves but it's not good enough. Being able to download or even simply purchase a copy of the Android OS and install it on ANY android phone would be the ultimate solution, similar to a windows PC.

 

[Tig Bitties]

Pretty much guaranteed to see this;

- Android 4.5
- Nexus 8 Tablet
- An update to Hangouts messaging

Google I/O never mentions or shows off the Nexus phone line, that is always a Fall release in October. And I still bet 99% we get one last Nexus-Six phone this Fall, most rumors pointing to HTC doing it, as they were the first with the Nexus-One, so a good way to close out the Nexus phone line, with this last 6th generation phone.

 

[gotluck]

So they might as well fully focus on the OS. Also I'd love to see more separation from the carriers, Google has done a great job distancing themselves but it's not good enough. Being able to download or even simply purchase a copy of the Android OS and install it on ANY android phone would be the ultimate solution, similar to a windows PC.

This for me, then I can stop only considering nexus and gpe android phones (+moto). Ruins Verizon as a carrier for me too (would only consider iPhone or moto dev edition on Verizon).

 

[jamezr]

Honestly I'd like to see them polish and fix Android, nothing else. Apple did nothing but polish and hone their software this time around, and I must say I'm impressed the more I read about the features they added and/or polished. Android continues to have so many things wrong with it, on the whole it's a great OS but it desperately needs polish and attention.

We won't see hardware anyway if the rumor of Google not making Nexus devices anymore is true. So they might as well fully focus on the OS. Also I'd love to see more separation from the carriers, Google has done a great job distancing themselves but it's not good enough. Being able to download or even simply purchase a copy of the Android OS and install it on ANY android phone would be the ultimate solution, similar to a windows PC.

You can do this now....you just have to be a Developer to do it. But i think the same can be said about Windows OS too......then you can you DL IOS?
I see pros and cons to his approach. It might break all the feature sets the OEM has added to the phone. Then Google will have to add all the gimmicks and add ons the OEMs do...or at least support them. Don't see that happening. Windows phone is so small in market share that I don;t that happening either. They can control the vendors right now as only Nokia, HTC, Samsung (i think) make Windows phones.

 

[Farplaner]

I'm interested to see what Android TV is all about.

 

[gotluck]

You can do this now....you just have to be a Developer to do it. But i think the same can be said about Windows OS too......then you can you DL IOS?

Pretty sure you would need a unlocked device, which is getting rarer and rarer even then I don't believe it works out of the box, you would have similar problems like when running aosp on a tmobile note 3 or something. There are always driver issues if it's not officially supported by the oem.

 

[jamezr]

Pretty sure you would need a unlocked device, which is getting rarer and rarer

True... except the international versions. They comes with unlocked BLs or most have a way to officially unlock them. I really like what HTC has done to let people unlock the BL on their phones......

 

[gotluck]

True... except the international versions. They comes with unlocked BLs or most have a way to officially unlock them. I really like what HTC has done to let people unlock the BL on their phones......

Yes Htc and moto are wonderful in that regard. Hopefully they both stick around.

Unfortunately they are the devices that need stock the least. Which figures

 

[SpoonCody]

Can't wait to learn more about Android Wear.

 

[SpoonCody]

Deleted. Wrong thread.

 

[spinedoc77]

You can do this now....you just have to be a Developer to do it. But i think the same can be said about Windows OS too......then you can you DL IOS?
I see pros and cons to his approach. It might break all the feature sets the OEM has added to the phone. Then Google will have to add all the gimmicks and add ons the OEMs do...or at least support them. Don't see that happening. Windows phone is so small in market share that I don;t that happening either. They can control the vendors right now as only Nokia, HTC, Samsung (i think) make Windows phones.

Don't you have to buy the developer edition of the phone though? In contrast I can just walk into any tech store a buy a PC, and load up a vanilla copy of Windows onto it.

If Google did something like this then it may break some functionality, but the oem's would be forced to produce software for this situation. eg: Samsung would be forced to provide a S-pen app and functionality for the Note 3 even if I installed Googles vanilla OS.

I don't know if this is feasible, it's only a pipe dream. Does Google wield this kind of power? Would it make oems flee, eg push samsung towards tizen?

 

[kdarling]

Being able to download or even simply purchase a copy of the Android OS and install it on ANY android phone would be the ultimate solution, similar to a windows PC.

Heck, they should make it easy to install Android on any iOS or Windows device as well

 

[gotluck]

Heck, they should make it easy to install Android on any iOS or Windows device as well

now you are just talking crazy

I would love android on apple hardware

you know what they say.. MBP is the best windows laptop

Apple would never give access to the drivers it would be a hackfest

 

[spinedoc77]

Heck, they should make it easy to install Android on any iOS or Windows device as well

I don't think that makes any sense whatsoever, even as a sarcastic response

 

[jamezr]

Don't you have to buy the developer edition of the phone though? In contrast I can just walk into any tech store a buy a PC, and load up a vanilla copy of Windows onto it.

If Google did something like this then it may break some functionality, but the oem's would be forced to produce software for this situation. eg: Samsung would be forced to provide a S-pen app and functionality for the Note 3 even if I installed Googles vanilla OS.

I don't know if this is feasible, it's only a pipe dream. Does Google wield this kind of power? Would it make oems flee, eg push samsung towards tizen?

But now you are mixing up the mobile space with the PC space......you can also buy a car...but that doesn't mean you can flash internals that run the computers in the car or buy it at the store.

I see the benefits of your scenario.......but that would be a huge and radical change.......that I don't see happening anytime soon....

Edit: Then Android would soon be BLOATED much like the install DVD for Windows. Now it would have to include the drivers for every know OEM phone maker. Then support all the add ins for all the feature sets every OEM likes to add to differentiate them selves form the pack......

 

[kdarling]

I don't think that makes any sense whatsoever, even as a sarcastic response

Wasn't being sarcastic at all

As for making sense, there's third party hacks to run Android on iOS devices.

Does running Bootcamp make sense?

 

[spinedoc77]

But now you are mixing up the mobile space with the PC space......you can also buy a car...but that doesn't mean you can flash internals that run the computers in the car or buy it at the store.

I see the benefits of your scenario.......but that would be a huge and radical change.......that I don't see happening anytime soon....

Edit: Then Android would soon be BLOATED much like the install DVD for Windows. Now it would have to include the drivers for every know OEM phone maker. Then support all the add ins for all the feature sets every OEM likes to add to differentiate them selves form the pack......

Oh I agree, it's not going to happen anytime soon. But at the same time Google has demonstrated the faintest hint of balls in releasing standalone things like their launcher. I agree the driver situation would make it bloated as well. LIke I said, it's just a pipe dream.

----------

Wasn't being sarcastic at all

As for making sense, there's third party hacks to run Android on iOS devices.

Does running Bootcamp make sense?

Ahh, I see. It would be pretty awesome!!

 

[Cod3rror]

I expect them to unveil some unfinished "what if" concept.
Provide a minor update to Android.
Talk about some other boring stuff.


What they should do is update Android significantly.

Focus on UI smoothness and consistency. Strict UI guidelines for developers.

Bring stricter update rules for manufacturers.

Add more features to Android. Stock Android is nice but Samsung's, HTC's and Sony's have so many more useful features, gimmicks too but lots of actual, useful features that stock Android does not have.

Get the bounce-back patent licensed from Apple.

Centralized audio controls.

BACKGROUND AUDIO!!! from any video source, be it the YouTube app, or a video opened in Chrome. This is one HUGE feature Apple has over Android.

 

[tbayrgs]

I expect them to unveil some unfinished "what if" concept.
Provide a minor update to Android.
Talk about some other boring stuff.


What they should do is update Android significantly.

Focus on UI smoothness and consistency. Strict UI guidelines for developers.

Bring stricter update rules for manufacturers.

Add more features to Android. Stock Android is nice but Samsung's, HTC's and Sony's have so many more useful features, gimmicks too but lots of actual, useful features that stock Android does not have.

Get the bounce-back patent licensed from Apple.

Centralized audio controls.

BACKGROUND AUDIO!!! from any video source, be it the YouTube app, or a video opened in Chrome. This is one HUGE feature Apple has over Android.

So basically, make it more like iOS and the Apple ecosystem.

It's pretty amusing how the prevailing wishes of iOS from Android proponents is that it would be more like Android and vice versa from Apple fans.

 

[SpoonCody]

So basically, make it more like iOS and the Apple ecosystem.

It's pretty amusing how the prevailing wishes of iOS from Android proponents is that it would be more like Android and vice versa from Apple fans.

Apple and Google should just get a room together. Then they could produce the iDroid or the aPhone?

 

[spinedoc77]

So basically, make it more like iOS and the Apple ecosystem.

It's pretty amusing how the prevailing wishes of iOS from Android proponents is that it would be more like Android and vice versa from Apple fans.

That's only a bad thing in the land of fanboys. Otherwise the rest of us don't really care. If iOS has nice features, yes I want them on Android. It's a little bit sad that you would even say that, although I understand it's the reality on these forums and goes both ways.