Google I/O 2025: What to Expect Beyond Android 16

Google’s annual developers conference, I/O, kicks off on May 20 this year. While I/O conferences have traditionally focused on fresh Android versions and new features coming to millions of devices as part of them, the more recent I/O keynotes have primarily been about Google’s ramped-up AI efforts, available under the Gemini brand across products. This year won’t be any different.

For the first time, Google held a pre-show event on YouTube to talk about Android 16, which is already available in beta to developers. Throughout the event, different key executives explained the major changes coming to Android, largely showcasing the new Material Three Expressive design language — one of Google’s biggest upgrades to Android’s interface in recent years. It will bring bolder colours, new animations, and a more streamlined UI flow between apps and services. If that could not qualify for the I/O keynote, Google surely has something more important to talk about — AI.

What’s beyond Android 16?

Much like the last I/O and the conference before that, the I/O 2025 is where Google CEO Sundar Pichai is expected to discuss what the company has been doing for the past year to make its products even more intelligent. The key to doing that is integrating Gemini models into not just consumer-facing services but also incorporating the upgrades into the framework of each service. That means you can expect Gemini-powered Google Search, Google Maps, YouTube, Gmail, Workspace, and even Android’s core experience.

Google has evidently lagged behind OpenAI in the AI race, but its recent efforts have propelled Gemini (previously called Bard) to make it stand among the top AI chatbots. It makes sense for the company to integrate Gemini more deeply into its services. So much so that Google Assistant has almost disappeared from Android phones. The next stage could be an advanced AI assistant like ChatGPT, driven by the latest Gemini foundational models.

But I/O is unlikely to be only about AI. Google has several ongoing projects, and a few of them could make their debut at the upcoming conference. Google has been working on its XR (extended reality) platform for years, and the I/O 2025 could be the best place to unveil it, especially after Samsung’s push to keep Apple at bay. And then, Google’s special projects could also be announced. Previously, I/O was where Google showcased technologies like the Project Starline. Add AI to it, and Google has an enticing service to show to the world, bolstering its position against Apple, Microsoft, and even OpenAI.

The deluge of AI-centric announcements could have sidelined Android 16’s debut, so the pre-show event, where all the major details were revealed, makes sense. Still, Google is expected to mention Android 16 to elaborate on its AI technologies during the I/O 2025. If Google delivers, I/O 2025 could be remembered as the moment Gemini finally stepped out of ChatGPT’s shadow.

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