Google Moves Android News to Virtual Event Before I/O Developer Conference

At Google's annual developer conference, Google I/O, next month, Android news is taking a backseat. On Monday, Google revealed that it will unveil the latest updates to the Android ecosystem at a separate virtual event, "The Android Show: I/O Edition," scheduled for May 13.

This move to host the Android segment of Google I/O in a standalone event before the main conference kicks off hints that this year's I/O might be even more focused on AI than usual. In recent years, AI has been gobbling up more and more time during Google I/O's consumer and developer keynotes.

Yet, Google spins this change in a different light. The company claims there are "so many new things to share" about Android that it opted to launch a special event—an I/O edition of its Android Show video podcast—to dish out the latest news and updates. They also emphasize that Android won't be entirely absent from I/O; it will still feature in keynotes and technical sessions aimed at developers.

Shifting a significant chunk of Android news to a pre-event virtual show marks a significant shift in the conference's format. Whether this is due to an overwhelming amount of Android news or because Google feels that Android updates no longer need the spotlight they once did, only time will tell.