Google is seemingly deprioritising its Android operating system at Google I/O next month, offering a tacit suggestion the annual developer conference is going to be more AI heavy than usual.
There was a time when Android dominated proceedings at Google’s annual showcase, but that has not been the case in recent years.
And it’s certainly unlikely in 2025 with operating system updates for the best Android phones being relegated to second billing as a separate virtual show a week before the I/O keynote. Google will host “The Android Show: I/O Edition” on May 13, while I/O won’t take place until May 20
“Get the lowdown on the latest Android innovations and experiences in the run up to Google I/O,” Google says on the Android website. You can see the YouTube placeholder below.
Google also says there are “so many new things to share” about Android, so we can expect to see the latest advancements set to reach users with Android 16 later this spring.
What this ultimately means is more time during the I/O keynote for Google to focus on its Gemini AI advancements, which are likely to take up the bulk of the time. We’ve already learned the company is planning to bring Gemini to Android Auto, as well as improve the experience for wearables and headphones.
We’ll have full coverage of both The Android Show on May 13 and the Google I/O keynote (aka The Gemini Show) on May 20.
Opinion
The annual Android updates feel less and less significant each year. And that’s to be expected considering the nuts and bolts and design tweaks aren’t really where its at anymore. The interface is pretty well set and a few minor improvements each year aren’t going to make headlines.
Gemini is almost becoming the operating system in itself, such is the way Google is integrating the experience into all of the major apps and services, like the camera, YouTube, Maps, Gmail, Search, Calendar and everything in between.
I fully expect the I/O keynote to be The Gemini Show.
