It is the key event of the year for the immense audience of developers who look to the Google world (and to that of Android in particular) and even the 2022 edition of I / O has not betrayed expectations, even in the absence of sensational announcements. First of all, the return in presence, even if access to the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View was reserved only for a small number of people (most of the participants followed the keynotes and vertical sessions on the official YouTube channel). In the anticipations of the eve there was talk of the new release (the 13) of the mobile operating system, of the new mid-range Pixel smartphone, of Wear OS but also (and as always) of important updates for some of the key services of the BigG galaxy, such as Maps and the search engine. Here are the most important I / O announcements.
The green robot makes 13
It’s the most popular mobile operating system in the world, and the emphasis from Sameer Samat, Vice President for Google Play and Android, may seem superfluous. The fact remains that there are over three billion devices (including phones, TVs, watches and even cars) active every month throughout the planet on which Android runs and that in the last year more than a billion new smartphones have been activated with a edge the software of the green robot. Talking about ecosystem (and future) multidevice is therefore more than legitimate and on Android 13 (of which the first beta has already been released) the Californian giant is working to bring a large book of privacy updates (end-to-end encryption). -end, for now limited to one-to-one conversations), customization options and SMS messaging (with the new Rich Communication Services standard).
The Wallet arrives on wearables
The evolution of Android therefore passes through digital services such as the Google Wallet, ready to land on Wear Os and standardize the way in which payment and fidelity cards, transport and event tickets are used and stored, and more such as the electronic keys of the hotel room or the badges to enter the office. Later on, by the end of the year (and starting from the USA) it will be the turn of driving licenses and identity documents while the integrations with other Google applications and services are being developed, starting with Maps (where will be able to view transit card balances when looking for directions). Furthermore, the emergency location services will now also flow into Android while on Wear OS (whose installed base is now three times higher than last year’s) Emergency SOS will be brought in a short time to manage emergency calls directly from your own. clock. And then, again, improvements dedicated to the user experience of the apps on tablets thanks to the new attributes of Google Play. The basic objective, as Samat recalls, is clear: to simplify and automate as much as possible the “transfer” of multimedia content (or even an Internet address) from one device to another, from the phone to the Chromebook, from the tablet to the TV , or viceversa. A multi-device world, in two words.
The smart home awaits Matter
The new era of the smart home, based on openness (of platforms and protocols) and collaboration, is very close to us. Michele Turner, Senior Director of Google Home Ecosystems said so, and this time there are many assumptions that it’s true. In short, no more problems using devices from different brands to manage lights or heat the house, and this thanks to Matter, the new standard for co-developed by BigG with the elite of global tech companies. We have been talking about this “technology” for a while and finally its launch should materialize during this year. What will change for users? By purchasing a Matter-enabled device, a few simple steps will be enough (on Android devices it will manage the Fast Pair function) to connect it via Wi-Fi to the home network, to another smart home ecosystem and to your favorite apps. The devices of the Nest family, confirms the Google manager, will be transformed into Matter controllers and this will allow you to connect all the devices enabled to Google Home and to control them both locally and remotely with the Google Home app, the commands available on the Android phone or Google Assistant. And for developers (for which a Developer Console will be available from June 30 to simplify the creation of Matter applications) there will no longer be the need to build multiple versions of a device and an app for the smart home to work in different ecosystems but only one. , which will work with Google Home and other smart home platforms.
In the new smartphones and smartwatches the intelligence of the proprietary chips
From Google they say that the hardware and software available today to millions and millions of users derive from an in-depth study on ambient computing and the smartphones that now enrich the Pixel family are no exception. In short, Google’s intelligence must adapt to the user in a non-invasive and non-intrusive way, taking advantage of the concept of multi-device functionality and an increasingly integrated data security. With Tensor, the first mobile system on chip “made in Mountain View”, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro were born and now it is the turn of Pixel 6a, which I take to the field with the Pixel Buds Pro earphones kit, in turn equipped with a new 6-core audio processor capable of running algorithms developed by Google engineers. I / O was also an opportunity to take the veil off the new Pixel Watch, the first fully home-built watch (will be available this fall) that comes with a circular domed design, recycled stainless steel body and Wear OS features combined with Fitbit health and fitness services. Finally, equipped with Tensor, it will also be a new Android tablet, designed to be the ideal “companion” of the smartphone.