Google I/O kicks off today, what might it bring the iPhone and iPad?

June 26, 2014

Just as Apple took over Moscone Center in San Francisco earlier this month for WWDC, Google this week descends upon the very same venue for its annual I/O developer conference. And while the meat of the discussions are related to Google's own platforms – Android, Chrome and all things related – we shouldn't ever forget that the iPhone is one of the absolute best Google phones money can buy.

As such there's a great chance that we'll see some news of interest this week coming out of the event and Mobile Nations will be live on the ground to bring it all to you. Read on to see what you need to know.

How to follow the action

Android Central will have the men on the ground – Hi Jerry, hi Phil! – and naturally the main focus of the event will be relayed by the team there. There's a spiffy new event page where you'll find everything Google I/O related and of course anything of note for iPhone and iPad owners will find its way to the front page of iMore too. You'll also want to be sure to follow along on the socials.

It all kicks off with a keynote at 9 a.m. Pacific, (12 p.m Eastern and 5 p.m.) in London and the Android Central guys will be running a liveblog that you won't want to miss. All the links you need are below.

Android Central's Google I/O hub
Keynote Liveblog - 9 a.m. Pacific!
Follow Phil Nickinson on Twitter, Google+
Follow Jerry Hildenbrand on Google+

What might we see?

Tons of new stuff for Android and Chrome. OK, you want more? Alex Dobie at Android Central has rounded up a pretty comprehensive preview of the event, and we might even be looking at competitors announced to the Apple TV and CarPlay. Then there's Android Wear, Google's wearable software platform and it's not absolutely ridiculous to imagine that iPhone support could well emerge for smartwatches that use it. It's definitely one to watch. And that's without even mentioning that the next version of Android will see some kind of preview.

Google Glass could also see some focus. Already open to use by folks who carry an iPhone, the big news recently was an expanded Explorer program that sees Glass available now in the UK – with a pretty hefty price tag to boot. It isn't yet in consumer ready form but Google will quite possibly look toward its future at I/O.

Away from major software platforms or possible hardware announcements, Google could talk some about improvements to its services and the mobile apps that come with them. Google's apps for iOS are pretty darn good – love them or hate them – and when Google talks mobile, we're always listening. There's no doubt a few folks out there who would be interested to see what the future holds for Google Voice, for example.

Google I/O 2014 preview

Your hopes

So, that's a brief look at what we might see and how you can join Mobile Nations as Google I/O unfolds. If you've got something particular you're hoping for this week from San Francisco, be sure to drop it into the comments below!