Google IO 2018: Everything you need to know about the company's biggest event of the year

NEW DELHI: Google’s one of the major conferences of the year, Google IO 2018 is just around the corner and the internet is already abuzz on what the search giant may introduce. Usually we see a bunch of software-side announcements from the company with the keynote being addressed by the Google CEO Sundar Pichai. If you are aware about IO or have attended one in person, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that one of the biggest announcements is about the next-gen Android OS. So compiling what we know until now, here’s everything you should know about the upcoming developer's conference.

What is Google IO?

Like mentioned above, it is one of the biggest annual events by the tech firm. It is focussed on developers and the new features they will be able to make use of in the coming months. Besides giving a peek into the new technologies Google is working on, the event also witnesses announcements that impact the lives of end users. This can be through various sectors such as smartphones, laptops, apps, software and even IOT. The first ever IO took place a decade ago (2008).

When and where is it taking place?

Google IO conference usually takes place in the company’s own campus (US) around May or June each year. This year, Google IO 2018 is taking place at Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA. The conference is scheduled to begin on May 8 and will conclude on May 10. In India, the event begins at 10.30PM on May 8.

Can you see the live stream?

The four-day event will be live streamed on the search giant’s own video platform – YouTube. It is free for all. One can see the keynote and all the other developer sessions that take place simultaneously in the rest of the days on YouTube through a dedicated Google IO YouTube channel.


What about the registrations for Google IO 2018?

If you are reading this now, you’re too late. Google usually starts the registration process months before wherein it takes a lottery out of several thousand who have applied. The selected ones can then buy the tickets. This is for both individuals and students.

Google IO 2018: The big agenda

The big agenda of Google IO 2018 is of course the upcoming version of Android, which in this case is the Android P. The company is likely to talk about the new OS version, its features along with some other enhancements it has made in other apps. Android P is already available in developer beta version. It is likely to roll out to end users later this year.