One of the most exclusive must-attend events on the Android calendar, the Google I/O 2016 is scheduled to happen on May 18-20 at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California.

The yearly developer conference is filled with sessions devoted to a wide range of subjects including highly technical sessions that will focus on the latest innovations involving developing applications for mobile and web technologies.

There has been much speculation around the event as this is relatively new territory for the company. However, thanks to a custom map released by the Search Giant, developed using Google Maps' My Maps feature, we now have an idea. Keynote and parties will be held at the Shoreline Amphitheater, also, there are around ten cosmically named stages, twelve demo areas and a code lab set up in the carparks around the main stage.

Early predictions for Google I/O 2016

Android N

A while ago the Mountain View, California company announced  the annual developer previews of the next major Android release that will be presented at each year’s I/O conference. According to the Android N update schedule, the previews will receive monthly updates until July, including multi-window support and Doze Mode 2.0 that will be released in Q3, 2016. We might as well see new Nexus handsets, likely to be made by HTC that will carry Android N baked in.

Virtual reality

The first wave of the session will be the big Virtual Reality that is going to be the hot topic this year, with the company promising to share its vision for VR, what has been developed so far and where they are headed eventually. This will be hosted by Clay Bavor, head of Virtual Reality division. Other sessions include VR and Cinema and how to develop a virtual reality game. Reports also state that the search giant is building a standalone VR headset that does not need any smartphone, PC or games console to operate, with a chip obtained from a Dublin-based chip manufacturer. Additionally, there could be two new VR products announcement, Cardboard partnerships and Expeditions, 360 video updates and YouTube quality.

Project Ara

Google's modular phone project, dubbed Project Ara is expected to come out with a slightly modified design, featuring a hinge and a bigger prism that is mentioned in FCC documents. The company will also most likely announce hardware developments at Google I/O 2016, including improved battery life, better camera and a new system for smartphones.

Project Tango

The company’s new reality push is Project Tango. The search giant has already launched a Project Tango tablet and phone which was showcased privately at MWC 2016, but there should be more on this at Google I/O 2016, considering the number of Project Tango events scheduled for the conference. It includes 'Introducing Project Tango Area learning', 'What's new with Project Tango', and a Project Tango developer panel.

Project Fi

Google's Mobile Virtual Network Operator service, Project Fi is still only available for Nexus users. Project Fi uses the T-Mobile and Sprint networks in the US as its basic infrastructure, and switches between the two networks to give smartphone users the best coverage. This year's I/O conference would be a great time to announce the service is expanded beyond the Nexus range for more smartphone owners.

Other Announcements

There could be some updates announced for Google's wearable OS Android Wear including new gesture controls. It's also possible that Android Wear will be made compatible with Windows Phones, which can be a great announcement. Also, there could be more news on OnHub wireless smart router which will showcase the smart home of the future, the Internet of Things generally and project Brillo, an OS designed for the development of smart home apps.

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