Weekend Poll: Did You Enjoy Google’s The Android Show: I/O Edition?

Google I/O is just a couple of days away, but we didn’t need to wait until the big keynote to learn about what’s next for Android. After an accidental early reveal, Material 3 Expressive was finally shown off this week as part of The Android Show: I/O Edition, alongside announcements about Gemini’s availability across new device types and an overhaul for Find My Device. But in my eyes, the real news was the focus on Android outside of an I/O context.

A quick summary, in case you missed-and-or-forgot what Google announced this week. Material 3 Expressive is coming later this year — after Android 16’s initial launch, unfortunately — with plenty of new visual tweaks in tow. In some ways, it actually reminds me of the first time Google showed off Material Design way back in 2014, with a focus on large text, bold colors, and outside-the-box UI elements. I’m curious to see how some of these ideas translate to real-world applications, but nevertheless, I’m excited.

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Meanwhile, Gemini is coming to all new places, including your car, your TV, and your wrist. It makes sense — Assistant is, as we all know, on its way out the door — but I’m still curious to see if Gemini is actually ready for this sort of spotlight. While Google confirmed with me that Gemini will feature shorter responses in the car in an effort to focus on safety, I know for a fact that I — and plenty of other drivers — might also have less patience for Gemini’s occasional mistake or hallucination while I’m out driving. It’s coming to those platforms later this year.

The last big showcase centered around Find My Device, which is transforming into a rebranded app called Find Hub. I have to admit, I’ve been pretty skeptical of Google’s tracker network thanks to pretty rocky launch, but it does seem like it’s catching up to its main competition in Apple. And with UWB support coming later this month, it’s sounding like a nice time to pick up some new trackers for your collection.

Announcements aside, though, I want to know what you thought of The Android Show: I/O Edition in general. It’s a big swing from Google to move Android off the main keynote stage in order to focus on AI, XR, and other things that, I assume, are not just two letters stuffed together. It really proves Google’s ever-changing ambitions, all while Gemini can’t even avoid lingering over a presentation that, by its own name, should be focused on Android first and foremost.

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But personally, I loved the format. Last year’s Google I/O was a disaster from a presentation perspective. While nothing went wrong on stage, I found the show’s flow completely out of whack while sitting in the stands at the Shoreline Amphitheater. Dev news, Gemini news, dev-focused Gemini news, a quick 10-minute spotlight on Android, back to Gemini — it was needlessly confusing, and I’m hoping The Android Show is just our first example of Google listening to feedback from viewers of last year’s presentation.

Either way, Android Police will be on the ground this week in Mountain View to learn all about whatever Google’s announcing next — though I’ll be watching this one from the comfort of my couch. In the meantime, what did you think of this year’s I/O-focused Android Show presentation? Did you like seeing our favorite mobile OS get its own time in the spotlight, or do you think Android is still worth a slot in the main keynote?

What did you think of Google’s The Android Show: I/O Edition?