Google I/O 2025 live — Gemini AI, Android XR glasses and all the big news as it happens

Android 16’s arrival

It feels weird to be headed into a Google I/O with the knowledge that Google’s not going to be spending much time — if any — on Android. But the bulk of the news seems to have been taken care of last week when Google talked up the interface changes coming to Android 16 during its Android Show streaming event. And if that’s not enough for you, the Android 16 beta has already been out in the wild since January, introducing us to such features as live updates, adaptive apps and more.

Really, at this point, we’re just waiting for a release date from Google, and that was offered during last week’s Android Show — at least in broad terms. Google’s Sameer Samat said that Android 16 would be available for Pixel devices first next month, with availability for other phones — including Samsung’s Galaxy S models — coming later in the summer.

Revisiting Project Astra

Project Astra was the headline-grabbing demo of Google I/O 2024, featuring an AI-powered assistant that was smart enough to both see what you were seeing and respond to voice commands. It’s an excellent example of multimodal AI, and while some of its features can be found in Gemini Live, Astra really is seen as an AI assistant for smart glasses.

We’re anticipating a Project Astra update at this year’s Google I/O, so it may be worth revisiting the 2024 demos that included using the camera on a phone to enable the AI assistant to recognize objects, answer questions and act upon the data it recognized.

Meet Gemini 2.5 Pro

Ahead of this week’s Google I/O, we’ve already gotten a hint about at least one software update that should enjoy some attention during the show. Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview (I/O Edition) debuted earlier this month, with Google likely to explain more about the update during its I/O conference.

The update focuses on coding and building interactive web apps, according to Google. Specifically, Google has put the focus on coding-based prompts across the board, with a special focus on code transformation and editing existing code.

Given I/O’s developer-centric focus, it wouldn’t be unimaginable that Google would devote some time during its I/O keynote to this particular topic.

Google’s Pinterest competitor

According to a report in The Information, Google I/O could see Google introduce us to a new service that’s meant to challenge Pinterest.

Specifically, Google is supposedly working on a service that would let people see images related to fashion or interior design. You’d then be able to save images to folders, drawing on them for inspiration later on.

It’s unclear how close this Pinterest competitor is to launching — and honestly, it doesn’t sound like the developer-focused announcement Google would make at I/O. But that’s one of the big rumors circulating about this week’s event ahead of the Tuesday keynote.

Are smart glasses coming to Google I/O?

With all the talk of Project Astra and Android XR, it feels inevitable that some sort of smart glasses will appear at Google I/O, even if it’s just a demo to show off how Google’s AI efforts can work in mixed reality. And Google is doing to tamp down that talk.

At the end of last week’s Android Show stream, Android chief Sameer Samat mentioned a number of exciting demos coming up at I/O this week… as he very noticeably put on a pair of sunglasses. Since we assume it wasn’t to block out the glare of the stage lights, we’re going to treat that as a teaser.

The latest on WearOS 6

Android may have gotten the focus at last week's Android Show event, but Google has other software platforms, and WearOS is getting some changes, too. Google's smartwatch software will soon be updated, with WearOS 6 boasting a number of noteworthy changes.

• The same Material 3 Expressive design coming to Android 16 is also part of WearOS 6, with scrolling animations that match the curved display of Google's watches and shape-morphing elements that adopt to the watch's screen size.
• Full-width glanceable buttons stretch across the width of the watch display to make them easier to tap.
• As part of Google's push to extend Gemini beyond smartphones, the smart assistant is coming to WearOS so you can now use natural language queries to interact with your watch.
• A 10% improvement in battery life is coming thanks to behind-the-scenes changes.
• Dynamic color theming extends the color of the watch face across the WearOS interface.

NotebookLM hits Android

Google had some product news just ahead of Google I/O. On Monday (May 19), it announced iOS and Android versions of NotebookLM, its AI-powered research assistant.

If you're not familiar with it, NotebookLM has the ability to process complex information, producing results that meticulously sourced. It's capable of summarizing long PDFs, pulling key details out of your files, doing side-by-side comparisons of different documents and more. The mobile version of NotebookLM puts all those capabilities on your Android device, extending the product's reach.

An Android 16 wish

We don't know what Google has left to say about Android 16 — if it has anything to say at all in the wake of a whole event last week dedicated to Android. But if the subject does come up, my colleague John Velasco has a request: he wants to see desktop mode become a permanent fixture for Android.

Samsung offers DeX on its flagship phones for using your phone as a laptop replacement when you plug it into an external monitor. And Pixel phones have that capability, too, though it's a bit of a hidden feature on the latest Pixel 9 models. Nevertheless, John argues, it's something all Android phones could benefit from.

Looking ahead to I/O

Earlier I posted a Google I/O preview, which covers in a little more depth some of the things we're likely to see during the keynote. But I also wrote about the show's heavy focus on AI this year — at least, from all outward signs — and why that's leaving me a little wary.

It's not Google's fault, really. But given the industry-wide obsession with AI as of late — and the very high hype-to-tangible-benefit ratio — I find myself somewhat numb to the promises of what AI can do for me. That especially true after the features that have worked their way to me may impress in some cases, but they haven't really impacted my day to day use of technology in any significant way.

I don't need to see a breakthrough in that regard at Google I/O. But I am hoping Google spends more time explaining the potential benefits of the technology it's showing off instead of just focusing on the wow factor.

Dropping hints

On Monday evening, Google CEO Sundar Pichai took to X to tease out the Google I/O keynote that's a few hours away. The picture features Pichai standing on the stage of the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View — the setting for the keynote — along with Demis Hassabis, CEO at Google DeepMind.

In case the AI heavy implications of that image weren't enough for you, Pichai added a none-too-subtle message — "Having a deep think." If it hadn't been before, it's very clear that AI is very much on the mind of Google executives heading into I/O.

Gemini's reach is growing

One thing we already know headed into Google I/O — Gemini is going to find its way onto a lot more devices than just your phone.

That was a focus of last week's Android Show, where Google executives outlined plans to bring the Gemini assistant to devices like smartwatches, TVs, cars and headsets.

That last product is particularly relevant if, as expected, Android XR becomes a focus at this year's I/O. The way google sees it, its AI can create a more personalized, immersive experience if paired with headsets and glasses running on Android XR. The example cited by Google revolves around vacation planning — while wearing an Android XR device, you can ask Gemini for help researching a trip, and the results of that search from photos to hotel details to potential experiences can float up before you.

There's no telling if we'll see a demo like that in action at I/O, but I'd certainly count on Google expanding about the use of Gemini on devices other than smartphones.