Top predictions for Google’s annual I/O developers’ conference, from smart glasses to autonomous cars

NEW smart glasses, self-driving cars, phones you put together yourself, and software to run the Internet of Things could be on Google’s agenda later this week.

IT’S the event that delivered internet-savvy spectacles, smartwatches, online maps, and the first Google-powered smartphone.

Now Google’s annual developers’ conference, Google I/O, is poised to kick off a fresh round of innovation in the wee hours of Friday when its top executives reveal what it has in store for the rest of 2015.

Top of the list are customisable smartphones, fresh Android software, and smartwatches, but there are some fascinating long-odds predictions that could appear when the internet giant takes the stage at 2.30am.

Below are some Google-y innovations we could see revealed this week.

Big event ... Larry Page, Google's co-founder and chief executive, speaks during the keynote presentation at Google I/O 2013 in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Prediction level: Very likely

MAKE-IT-YOURSELF PHONE

Customisable phone ... Google's Project Ara phone would have modules, like cameras or lighters, that could be slotted into a metal frame and held in place by magnets.

Google calls its most ambitious smartphone venture Project Ara.

The idea behind is that users create and customise their own smartphones, picking from modules to create their perfect handset.

Users could also swap modules — adding or removing a camera, computer chip, or storage, for example — as new parts became available.

Google previously said it would hold a Project Ara “limited market pilot in 2015,” making the timing right for it to reveal its plans.

ANDROID M

A new generation coming ... The Google Nexus 9 tablet was among the first with Android 5.0 Lollipop software.

Call it Marshmallow or Milkshake, Google is almost guaranteed to reveal more about its next smartphone operating system.

Not only has the company debuted new phone software at every recent I/O event, but Android M is listed as a topic for information sessions following the keynote talk.

The phone software is rumoured to include a new fingerprint feature that will let users log into apps without the hassle of typing a password into their phone.

Naturally, this would only be useful to Android phones with a fingerprint scanner, such as the Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC One Max.

Scuttlebutt also suggests Google will change and unify Android notifications so pop-ups you see on your laptop, for example, will not appear a second time on your Google tablet.

The company could also open one of its developer-friendly additions to regular users, with a little tweaking. The feature would see users able to turn off some privacy permissions which apps demand from Android’s menu system.

The software is unlikely to get a visual makeover, however, as several post-keynote developer sessions are dedicated to Android Lollipop’s Material Design look.

NEW SMARTWATCHES

A smartwatch made earlier ... The Motorola Moto 360 smartwatch debuted at last year’s Google I/O.

An 800-pound gorilla sat on the smartwatch market this year.

That would be Apple and its Watch that sold more than one million times over in its first six hours.

Google released its smartwatch software first, however, and is likely to fight back this year with fresh hardware.

The company already revealed new features for existing Android-powered smartwatches, including wi-fi and emoji support, but expect to see fresh wrist gadgets from the likes of Motorola, which debuted its iconic Moto 360 at Google’s event last year.

There could also be a fresh focus on fitness devices, with several developer sessions based around Google Fit.

Prediction level: Possible

GOOGLE GLASS 2.0

The internet glasses that captured our attention, for better or worse, were pulled from sale in January.

But far from giving up on the category, Google Glass boss Ivy Ross said a new version of the smart spectacles would be cheaper, better looking, and offer a better display, better sound quality, and better battery life.

If it’s ready, or somewhat ready, Google I/O would be the place to at least show it off.

ANDROID PAY

Phones as credit cards ... Marketing consultant Marianthi Livaditis uses her phone to pay for coffees, groceries and other items. Pic: Tricia Watkinson

Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, it seems every huge company has a “pay” day.

Friday could be Google’s as it’s rumoured to be rebranding Google Wallet as Android Pay, and adding new features to its payment service.

The rumoured follow its recent purchase of Softcard that specialises in NFC payment technology for smartphones.

Google product senior vice-president Sundar Pinchai, who is scheduled to open the I/O keynote, told Mobile World Congress attendees the company’s payment technology would one day work with biometrics, further hinting at the importance of phone fingerprint scanners.

INTERNET OF THINGS SOFTWARE

The Internet of Things (IoT) is rising in prominence again, with big firms including Samsung promising to connect everyday devices to the internet to make them smarter.

Google is rumoured to weigh into the field with an Android-based operating system for devices that don’t normally boast an internet connection.

The ultra low-power software would be called Brillo, according to a report in The Information, and could be added to everything from door locks to kettles using minimal amounts of RAM.

Prediction level: Outside chance

VIRTUAL REALITY

Almost real ... The Google Cardboard virtual reality viewer.

Google’s last virtual reality effort was made of cardboard but its next could be something more substantial.

Samsung has already shown its hand with the Gear VR, HTC has partnered with Valve to create the Vive, and Microsoft is promising to release HoloLens sometime soon.

Google has a “Make Believe” session about exploring “virtual reality and how it make change our lives” and “how to design virtual reality experiences” on its I/O schedule. It could be a hint of a bigger project.

SELF-DRIVING CARS

Autonomous cars ... US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx (R) and Google Chairman Eric Schmidt as they ride in a Google self-driving car at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California.

It’s unlikely Google will launch the self-driving car just yet, but the company is due to start a real-world trial of the vehicles this winter.

These bubble-shaped autonomous vehicles are slowly approaching road worthiness after extensive testing on its own private tracks.

The cars have a top speed of 40km/h and a removable steering wheel for the brave.

Originally published as Top predictions for Google’s annual I/O developers’ conference, from smart glasses to autonomous cars