It’s that wonderful time of the year again, conference season! Over the next several months we get the joy of experiencing a large variety of events that will introduce us to new technologies, software features, and development capabilities. And at the top of the list of marquee conferences is Google I/O 2022, an annual Google event dedicated to developers and tech enthusiasts.
Last year we saw the return of Google I/O after a brief hiatus in 2020 for, well, you know. But it was worth the wait, because Google I/O 2021 gave us so much to be excited about. In fact, there were so many fantastic announcements made in the mobile space last year that when the sessions for this year’s I/O were released we knew we had to write this short guide to call out some of the things we’re really looking forward to.
Getting started
Now, if you’re new to Google I/O, you’ll be delighted to know that the full program is virtual and available completely for free. Even better, you can access any of the content, like the keynotes and sessions, live or watch them on-demand later at your convenience.
But there’s also so much more as you have the ability to chat directly with Googlers to ask questions about products and services, engage with others in the Google developer community, and participate in codelabs. All along the way, you’ll have the opportunity to grow both your knowledge and network. Pretty awesome, right?
OK, so to get started all you need to do is head to the Google i/O 2022 website and register using your Google account.
Can’t-miss sessions
After you’ve registered, and received your shiny new attendee badge, it’s time to dive into the program to check out all of the exciting sessions that will be available! Once you do you’ll likely be shocked, and maybe even a little overwhelmed, at the sheer number of sessions that have been planned. With that in mind, I’ve created my short-list of “can’t miss” sessions.
Keynotes
First things first, and likely no surprise, are the keynote sessions. As is typical with Google I/O there are two flavors:
- Google I/O keynote: This is the lead-off and absolute must-see session of the entire event. Not only does the Google I/O keynote kick off the event, but it’s also where you’re going to hear the biggest announcements. If you can’t attend any of the other sessions you don’t want to miss this one as we’re likely to hear announcements on Android 13, the Pixel 6a, and, rumor has it, Google might even unveil the Pixel Watch!
- Developer keynote: In this session, you will learn about the latest updates to Google developer products and platforms such as Android Studio, Kotlin, Firebase, and more.
Break-out sessions
Beyond the keynote sessions, you’ll have the opportunity to check out a vast array of technical sessions and workshops.
There are even a variety of Google developer communities from all around the world that you can jump into that can use to connect with others for networking, collaboration, and inspiration!
With all the features and options available to you within the portal, by the time you start checking out all of the available sessions, that’s where things can get a little overwhelming. But fear not, I’ve got you covered! To help simplify things a bit, I’m going to highlight a few sessions that I’m really excited about!
Day 1
- What’s new in Android: Once the first two keynotes are over, Google will dive deeper into what’s new in Android. Since Android 13 is the latest beta release of its OS it's likely that we will hear more about what Google has hidden from our view so far.
- What’s new in Flutter: In case you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past few years you might have missed that Flutter has been revolutionizing the mobile cross-platform world. In this session, you’ll learn about the latest features and functionality coming from Flutter, including, but certainly not limited to Dart enhancements, expanded tooling, and various new integrations. And if you’re looking to expand your Flutter knowledge be sure to check out the session “Take a Flutter app from boring to beautiful”.
- What’s new in Google Play: As you likely already know, Google Play is the online store where people go to find their favorite apps, games, movies, TV shows, books, and more. So, in this session, the presenters will dive into new features to help optimize acquisition, engagement, monetization, and, something that is likely top of mind for all of these days, building safer, more secure apps.
Day 2
- What’s new in Android development tools: In this session, you’ll get an overview of what's new in Android Studio, including an introduction to new features and functionalities that are aimed as helping accelerate developers' workflows.
- What’s new in app performance: If you’ve done any sort of Android development you’re likely already familiar with some of the common performance challenges. In this session, you’ll get direct insights on how to measure and address common performance pitfalls and a deeper dive into exactly how the Android Runtime works under the hood.
Bitrise + Google I/O
All that said, there’s going to be so much more content and information that comes out of Google I/O this year. Far too much to cover in this article. So, with that in mind, we’re also planning a few other activities during the conference!
- Daily recap videos
We’ll be teaming up with a Google Developer Expert and popular YouTube content creator, Tadas Petra, to create recap videos after each day. We’ll get Tadas’ reactions to all of the biggest announcements and his insights on the events he attended during the day. Be sure to subscribe to the Bitrise YouTube channel to check it out!
- Live tweets and spaces
Throughout the event, we’ll also be live tweeting our thoughts and excitement of all of the latest news and announcements. We’ll also be hosting a Twitter Space, dedicated to discussing all things Google I/O, in real-time, during the event. So, be sure to follow us on Twitter and the Mobile DevOps Community to see our reactions, and to let us know what you think throughout the event.
- Real-time discussion
We’re also going to be hanging out in the #google-io-2022 channel, within the Bitrise Public Slack, to chat about everything.
As you can see, we’re pretty excited about Google I/O this year, and we hope this short guide has helped you start thinking about what you’re hoping to get out of the event this year!
Happy learning, happy networking, and, as always, happy building! 🚀
