The fifth edition of Google’s annual developers conference, Google I/O, is shaping up to be a big event.
The rumor mills are on fire and tech blogs are making all kinds of predictions about what Google will announce at I/O.
Five hot Google I/O rumors and predictions:
A low-priced Nexus tablet
Gizmodo Australia claims to have got its hands on a training document with details of Google’s rumored Nexus 7 tablet. The Asus-made device is said to sport a 7” display, a 1.3Ghz quad-core Tegra 3 processor, NFC, a 1.2MP camera and the latest version of Google’s Android operating system, Jelly Bean. The tablet is expected to come in two variants, an 8GB model priced from $199 and a 16GB version priced at $249 -- both are expected to launch in July. With an entry price of $199 the feature-rich tablet is expected to be a compelling alternative to Amazon’s Kindle Fire.
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
You can expect to hear lots about the next version of Google’s Android operating system, codenamed Jelly Bean, if the current set of rumors are anything to go by. Rumored updates for Android 4.1 include a new search bar and background image, and the launch of “Google Assistant” (a Siri-like assistant that combines traditional and voice search with translation, direct answers and voice actions).
Maps on iOS
While Apple has announced that it will replace Google Maps with its own 3D mapping solution in iOS 6, there are hints that Google is hard at work on a standalone Maps app for iOS. Jeff Huber, senior vice president, Commerce & Local at Google, recently commented that “We look forward to providing amazing Google Maps experiences on iOS” in a reply to a post on Google+.
Maps on iOS
While Apple has announced that it will replace Google Maps with its own 3D mapping solution in iOS 6, there are hints that Google is hard at work on a standalone Maps app for iOS. Jeff Huber, senior vice president, Commerce & Local at Google, recently commented that “We look forward to providing amazing Google Maps experiences on iOS” in a reply to a post on Google+.
Google Hardware
Rumors suggest that we might see additional OEMs release a new round of Chrome-based PCs in addition to the already announced Samsung Chromebox and Chromebooks. ReadWriteWeb suggests we may even see Chrome-based tablets. There are also whispers of a wireless home entertainment system featuring Android@home technology. The entertainment system(s) would rival those made by Sonos.
Additional rumors include the announcement of a Pinterest for Android app, news about Google TV and Project Glass, plus Chrome, Google+, YouTube and Google Drive updates.