Google confirms that completely new gadgets and ‘significant’ updates are coming this month

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Google is getting ready to make some ‘important’ announcements in the coming weeks (Image: GETTY • UNSPLASH)

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has told investors that they can expect some “major product updates and announcements” at the California company’s developer conference this month. Google skipped this event, dubbed Google IO, last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. During the two-day conference, software and hardware developers usually travel from all over the world to talk to engineers about the latest features, gadgets and updates planned by Google.

In previous years, Google has used its keynote presentation to announce new smart home gadgets, such as the first-generation Google Home smart speaker, as well as all-new applications, such as Google Photos. New features for Google Chrome, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube and of course Android also hit the stage at the event.

Developer conferences are hugely important because they allow the teams behind software and hardware to test the latest features before rolling them out to millions of users around the world. Android manufacturers, such as Samsung and Sony, should test the latest updates on their gadgets to make sure the latest tricks don’t break a crucial function. Likewise, new tricks for the Google Nest smart home kit should be tried with the staggering number of smart light bulbs, robotic vacuums, routers and smart TVs that customers may have set up in their homes.

While Google CEO Sundar Pichai didn’t give investors more details about what to expect onstage at Google IO this year, we can have an educated guess. The California company has already released a very early beta version of Android 12 – the next major mobile operating system for millions of smartphones and tablets worldwide – so we expect Google to stock up on some of the most splashy features to unveil at the Google IO keynote.

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Google IO Update New features Chrome Android Google IO UK

Google is bringing back its IO developer conference after skipping last year (Image: GETTY)

Google IO Update New features Chrome Android Google IO UK

But unlike the usual show, the keynote presentation will be streamed online (Image: GETTY)

Likewise, Google is almost guaranteed to reveal some feature tricks for its talkative AI helper, the Google Assistant. Activated with the voice command “Hey Google” or “OK, Google”, this hands-free assistant can be found in all Android smartphones, tablets, as well as Google Nest smart speakers and displays and SONOS sound systems. It is also built into a number of smart TVs.

Google recently upgraded its Google Nest Hub bedside clock with sleep tracking, but its bigger cousin, the Google Nest Hub Max, is starting to look a little long in the tooth. It’s possible we’ll see some of the same motion-sensing technology found in the Nest Hub making its way to the model with a larger touchscreen.

And with Apple and Samsung recently announced small trackers that can keep an eye on your keys, luggage, purse, and sunglasses … it wouldn’t be surprising to see a competing option from Google. After all, there are more Android devices than iOS – meaning that these trackers are more likely to be found by traversing phone owners’ Bluetooth connections. Not only that, but these could also take advantage of the power of Google Maps and Streetview.

Google IO Update New features Chrome Android Google IO UK

Google is likely to reveal new features for Android 12 and the Google Assistant, but new hardware may also be launched (Image: GOOGLE)

With the sudden transition to working from home, Google’s release schedule took a bit of a hit last year.

The Mountain View-based company scrapped its planned Google IO conference last year and halted the launch of new features for Google Chrome and Chrome OS that power Chromebook laptops. It prioritized security and performance updates over flashy new tricks.

With Google IO slated between May 18-20, 2021 and with CEO Sundar Pitchai trying to anticipate investors, it looks like Google has its ducks lined up and ready to make some headlines with some new products and dazzling new features . Express.co.uk will be watching the keynote, hosted by Pitchai, in the next two weeks, so stay tuned for the latest announcements from Google, Android, Google Chrome, YouTube and more.

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Neela
Neela
I work as the Content Writer for Gaming Ideology. I play Quake like professionally. I love to write about games and have been writing about them for two years.

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