Google I/O 2016 live blog: Android N, Daydream VR, and Android Wear 2.0

Updated 1:05pm: Sundar Pichai is on stage. Here we go!

Updated 12:55pm: The event is about to begin. Now we get a close-up look at what the Google engineering team has been working on. Follow along with our live blog, or stream the entire keynote below.

Live blog

2:57pm Well, that’s a wrap. No new phones or tablets. No real coverage of Chrome OS. Hopefully we’ll see more later in the year.

2:56pm Google is also using machine learning to help detect certain eye diseases.

2:54pm Teams within Google are using machine learning to help make smarter robots.

2:51pm Pichai is discussing the Google Cloud Platform. Giving third-party devs access to much of the same tech Google uses internally.

2:49pm The Instant Apps feature will be supported all the way back to Jellybean. Launching later this year.

2:45pm “Instant Apps” let you load parts of Android apps on the fly when you click links. Interesting idea.

2:44pm Ellie Powers is on stage – the third woman today. Not an even representation, but better than it used to be.

2:43pm Crash reporting, cloud messaging. There’s over a dozen new features in the newest version of Firebase, and it’s launching today. iOS, Android, and web support.

2:38pm New version of Firebase. It includes improved app analytics.

2:35pm As we go down the bullet points of the new Android Studio suite, the developer-filled crowd is cheering like crazy.

2:32pm Second woman on stage, and she’s talking about the next version of Android Studio.

2:29pm Discussing Google-led web standards for better mobile websites.

2:25pm Smart reply, handwriting recognition, better fitness tracking, a new keyboard, and better watch faces. Seems like a nice step up, but this isn’t a revolution or anything.

2:23pm Android Wear 2.0 is coming.

2:22pm Launching in fall, but devs can start making Daydream apps with the newest preview build of Android N.

2:21pm Google is porting its video and photo apps to work in VR. Makes sense.

2:19pm You’ll be able to navigate the Play Store and download apps while in VR. Seems similar to what we’ve seen before in other helmets.

2:17pm Google is releasing reference designs for the headset and controller, but multiple versions will be available from different companies. It all seems pretty straightforward.

2:16pm Many big brands will be shipping Daydream-ready phones this fall.

2:13pm “VR is coming to Android” – this could be big news. Launching in fall.

2:10pm Android N is launching in the summer, but it’s also launching in open beta.

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2:09pm You can now more easily act on notifications – or kill them for specific apps. New Emojis as well.

2:06pm Google has improved to UI around finding apps and switching apps. Split-screen and PIP modes are being implemented as well. I use those features on my iPad all the time. Makes sense that Android should have them as well.

2:03pm Seems like Google is taking security/encryption seriously. Maybe Apple’s recent consumer messaging about encryption is starting to impact the team.

2:01pm The new JIT compiler makes app installation about 75% faster. Less storage requirements as well.

1:59pm Vulkan is making its way to Android. Should make for much prettier games on mobile.

1:58pm Discussing Android N. They want users to help name the N release. Nougat!

1:56pm Listing off the successes of watches, TVs, and cars running Android.

1:55pm Time to talk about Android.

1:49pm Duo is video chat that’s available on iOS and Android. It also has a live preview of the person video calling you. I’m not sure how much I buy that this makes video calling any better.

1:47pm Incognito mode for Allo offers end-to-end encryption and other ways to hide your conversations from nosey people. I’m sure the NSA/FBI won’t be happy.

1:46pm You can play games with the assistant. It’s like we’re cycling back around to SmarterChild.

1:43pm This should be called “Bad Jokes: The Keynote” – maybe they should have sweetened the crowd audio with fake laughter.

1:42pm This seems pretty compelling – it’s designed to make it easier to act upon information without leaving the app. It makes a lot of sense.

1:40pm First woman on stage. She’s explaining how Google Assistant works within Allo.

1:38pm Smart replies will auto-populate potential replies when people message you. It even analyzes photos. Neat.

1:37pm “Ink” lets you annotate your pictures before you send them.

1:36pm “Whisper Shout” lets you increase or decrease text size for each message.

1:33pm Google is introducing a new “smart” messaging app called Allo.

1:29pm You can sign up for more info at

1:27pm Maybe Google Home will be a massive success, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see this die quietly like so many Google-made living room devices.

1:22pm Seems like they’re selling this as an easy-to-use wireless speaker just as much as a digital assistant.

1:20pm Google Home seems exactly like Amazon’s Echo. Pichai even name-checked them in the introduction. Weird.

1:17pm Google Assistant seems solid, but they’re not doing a great job explaining how it’s more than just an iteration on existing concepts.

1:14pm This seems like a natural progression of Google Now. Siri-like, you might say.

1:12pm Machine learning and artificial intelligent is a vital part of Google’s business. So they’re introducing something called “Google Assistant” to help people find things easier.

1:01pm Pichai is discussing how technology has evolved. Especially how search and voice recognition have changed.

1:01pm We’re getting a strange, but lovely, musical performance.

12:56pm Here we go. The video feed is live, but the event hasn’t started just yet.

The original post follows below:

Today at 1pm ET (10am PT), Google’s I/O conference kicks off with a two-hour keynote presentation. We’ll be live blogging the whole thing, so make sure to check back here when the keynote begins. Alternately, the event itself will be live streamed in full 360 degrees in the video embedded below, so you can watch along in your browser or in VR with Google Cardboard.

Word on the street

Back in March, Google released an early developer preview of . At this point, we’re used to getting our first hands-on experience at I/O, but we already know much of what to expect from the upcoming OS update.

Of course, that doesn’t completely rule out the possibility of some surprise additions. Google might roll out a new build today loaded with exciting new features, but don’t get your hopes up. Still, the new “N” name might get revealed early. Nougat? Necco? Nilla?

As far as hardware goes, there are a couple of things to keep an eye on. There’s a good chance that we’ll get to see an in-depth demo, but there’s also supposedly launching thanks to a partnership with HTC.

If the rumor mill is to be believed, some big news about virtual reality is coming too. Considering how muted the reception was to the earlier this year, a portable low-cost solution from Google could be big news. If this “Android VR” delivers an affordable -like experience for people without Samsung phones, it has the potential to bring along a massive user base. If Tango is involved somehow, all the better.

There hasn’t been much love for tablets or smartwatches lately, but it wouldn’t be entirely surprising to see some updates here and there. And as for Chromebook and Chrome OS news, it seems like a coin toss at this point. Maybe some new reference devices? It’d certainly be nice, but I won’t hold my breath.

[Image credit: , altered]