This move isn’t entirely unexpected, considering Google’s recent trend of dedicating less time to Android discussions during I/O. It also suggests that there will be significant attention on Gemini and Google’s other AI ventures throughout the main conference. There’s also a possibility we might receive updates on Project Astra.

According to Samat, “We’ll be sharing news now to get you ready for I/O where we’ll have even more special announcements and surprises in store.” Google has assured that Android will still feature prominently at I/O through keynotes and developer technical sessions.

While Android was once the highlight of Google I/O — back when the company unveiled new statues for the new dessert flavor name picked for the next-generation of Android — that’s changed in the past few years. Last year, Google talked about redesigning Search around AI, and how Gemini would integrate across Android phones and services like Docs, Gmail, Calendar.