- Google has set the full schedule for its virtual I / O 2021 event.
- The calendar contains news for Android, Chrome OS, Google Assistant, and smart homes.
- Wear OS isn't very present, however.
Google has released the full schedule for I / O 2021, and it is clear that the purely virtual event will be full of news - at least for certain users and developers.
I / O 2021 begins on May 18 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern (10:00 a.m. Pacific time) with a long two-hour keynote, followed by a developer-focused 45-minute keynote at 3:15 p.m. Given that Google CEO Sundar Pichai and other executives are ready to showcase during that first keynote, we'd expect most or all of the major news to be announced then - when the Pixel 5a or other hardware debuts on the Conference Appear, You Will Hear about it in the first few hours.
See also: Google is briefly spoiling the Pixel Buds A-series launch
Later I / O 2021 presentations can serve as an indication of what to expect. There's no doubt that Google will delve deeper into Android 12 during its "What's New With Android?" Keynote at 4:30 p.m. ET, but there are similar events happening for the Google Assistant (May 19 at 12:45 p.m.) Chrome OS (May 19 at 1:45 p.m.) and the previously shared smart home panel (May 19 at 7:15 p.m.).
You can also expect news on Google Play (May 18 at 5:00 p.m. ET), the web (May 18 at 5:15 p.m.), and Google Pay (May 19 at 5:15 p.m.). Google plans to replay early morning events for people in Africa and other regions where the initial timing is not favorable.
The schedule also includes at least one noticeable omission. Apart from a workshop on creating tiles, Wear OS is not mentioned at I / O 2021. So don't expect Google to come up with a major overhaul of Wear OS or, in other words, talk about the Fitbit acquisition.
With that in mind, it's obvious that Google intends for I / O to make a similar impression in 2021 as it did in previous years. It may not have the physical extravagance of traditional events, but it could still represent a return to shape after the pandemic prompted Google to immediately cancel I / O 2020.
