Google I/O 2025 Live Blog: Gemini, Android 16, and everything we know so far

It’s pretty obvious that Google is trying to balance the fine line between catering to developers and just turning I/O into a party for everyone. That being said, we’re also curious as to what the structure of the Keynote will actually be. With Material 3 Expressive out of the way, and Android 16 likely arriving in June, is there even anything else for Google to share?

On the flip side, if you just browse through the various planned sessions, you can see that we’re going to spending quite a bit of time sifting through everything. Even with four main “Focus Areas,” there are a bunch of sessions for each, with varying degrees of complexity.

Nevertheless, Google I/O is one of the more exciting events of the year, and we can’t to see what’s to come.

Something else that we’re curious about is whether Google will share any upcoming plans for Chromebooks, tablets, or Android’s revamped Desktop Mode. The latter made a surprise appearance at the end of The Android Show, but we aren’t exactly sure what device it was being shown on.

And while rumors regarding a potential “Pixel Laptop” have subsided, we can’t help but wonder what the future holds for Chromebooks and tablets. Neither are going away any time soon, but there hasn’t been much on that front since the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus and Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 debuted last Fall.

There was one surprising omission when it came to the most recent batch of announcements, and that’s the lack of any mention regarding Nest devices. It’s been over four years since the most recent Nest Hub was released, and even longer since the Nest Audio was introduced.

However, Google has hardly mentioned its smart home platform at all, besides announcing that it’s dropping support for a variety of devices. We can’t help but wonder what plans Google has for the platform, whether it be in the way of new hardware or not.

I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that this will be a surprise announcement during the I/O 2025 Keynote.

While the smart glasses are pretty awesome in their own right, that’s not all we’re expecting in the way of Android XR at Google I/O 2025. For a brief moment, Samsung’s Project Moohan was spotted in the background during The Android Show.

Hopefully, this is where we will learn even more about the upcoming XR headset, as it’s rumored to launch sometime in “mid-2025.” And what better time to spill the beans than at Google I/O, when the platform will be on full display. Pun intended.

We know that Gemini is going to be a big deal at I/O 2025, but there’s a pretty good chance Android XR steals the show. Despite there not being any Android XR-powered hardware just yet, Google gave us a glimpse at some of the things that Gemini will be able to do.

At one point during The Android Show, Android president Sameer Samat appeared on screen wearing some sunglasses that look similar to Ray-Bans. However, as my colleague Nick Sutrich points out, these are likely “Google and Samsung’s upcoming smart glasses, complete with tinted lenses.”

It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, but even Google TV is getting a Gemini upgrade, albeit one that’s a bit smaller than other services. Once available, you’ll be able to summon Gemini and ask it for specific recommendations.

In the announcement, Google said “you can ask for action movies that are age-appropriate for your kids.” Plus, you can ask generalized questions, and along with a response, Gemini and Google TV will provide related videos for you to watch.

One of the more obvious focal points of I/O 2025 is going to be Gemini. The Android Show got the ball rolling, as Gemini will soon be available on the likes of Wear OS, Google TV, Android Auto, and Android XR. This comes following Google’s replacement of Assistant with Gemini earlier this year, so the company must feel as though it’s evolved enough to make it more widely available.

Arguably, the platform getting the biggest Gemini upgrade is Android Auto, with Google claiming it operates as a “more intuitive assistant.” You’ll still be able to perform simple tasks, but Gemini is also capable of understanding more complex requests.

With Wear OS 6, we’re finally getting more customization options, and we don’t mean more watch faces. Material 3 Expressive brings the ability to change color of the entire UI, so you can either match the color to your phone, or opt for something a bit different.

Not only that, but various UI elements are also being redesigned in order to make smartwatches easier to interact with. Buttons and notifications will now “hug the display,” maximizing the screen real estate and hopefully resulting in a much better experience.

Morning everyone!

Technically, Google I/O 2025 is already underway, as Google gave us an early look at what’s coming with The Android Show: I/O Edition. Material 3 Expressive brings about one of the more drastic UI overhauls that Google has undertaken, bringing it to our phones with Android 16 and smartwatches via Wear OS 6.

From everything we’ve seen so far, it’s not just about making your phone and watch more personal, but aims to improve on aspects that you might not pay close attention to. This includes things like UI animations, buttons, all while retaining the essence of what Material You was all about.