Google I/O Tomorrow!

 

Well Apple had their conference announcing iOS 6, Microsoft had their little event and announced Microsoft Surface, all that leaves is Google! Wait no more, tomorrow marks the beginning of Google IO developer conference! Tickets this year sold out in under 30 minutes; typically because Google offers a lot of goodies at the IO for developers and attendees. Last year they gave everyone a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 with a limited back plate to the device. This year there is a lot that could be announced yet so little time! Lets run through some of the possibilities.

 

Jelly Bean a.k.a. Android 4.1

Jelly Bean has already been confirmed as 4.1, so this means that this update will be a build upon ICS instead of an entirely new skin. There are “leaked” screen shots showing an improved search bar, and Chrome as a native browser. Other than that, features are quite mysterious at this point. Could we see an answer to Siri, maybe Project Majel? A better Google Wallet app; or even more carriers embracing it? (I mean come on! I want to use my phone as a credit card!) I am sure Google has cooked up a number of updates for this OS, especially since it’s a revision number change.

 

Nexus Tablet

Also rumored to be launched is a Google branded Nexus tablet. There has been a lot of rumored specs and information about this tablet being tossed around, but the most interesting aspect is the pricing point. Rumored prices are in the $150-250 USD range which is flat-out ridiculous for a Google device. “Leaked” details of the device through a training document and are as follows:

• 7″ IPS display with 178 degree viewing angles (1280×800 resolution)
• 8GB and 16GB storage options, priced at $199 and $249
• 1.3GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor
• 1GB RAM
• Jelly Bean (Android 4.1)
• NFC with Google Wallet loaded
• 1.2MP front camera
• 9 hours of battery life

Can anyone say goodbye Kindle Fire? If this all holds true, Google is going to rock the entire tablet industry.

 

Google Maps for iOS

Google Maps got the ax by Apple this year at their Developer conference, so I am sure Google is going to release a Google Maps app on the App Store for iOS. It is an integral app for many users, and we still don’t know the accuracy of Apple’s own map service. My idea, if it ain’t broken don’t fix it! This is probably a safe bet at the IO this year.

 

A Reboot for Google TV

While Google TV did take off as hoped, it is still around and selling a decent number. There have been new companies working with Google TV, so maybe this is the year we see the emergence of Google TV? It is very underrated and a very powerful OS. Let’s see if they somehow unify this with tablets and phones like Air Play for Apple TV.

 

Google Glasses

Sergey Brin has been rocking these for some time now, and a video shot with the frames has also been released. I doubt for any huge announcements on this but maybe people will get to see the prototype, try them on, and see what it’s all about. Baby steps people, this could be a huge development!

 

Who knows what we will see, but I am excited. We will keep you all posted as announcements are made tomorrow. Google I/O runs from June 27th – June 29th, so we have 3 days of Google Goodness. Check back soon!