What to expect from Google in 2015

2014 has been a big year for Google. It kickstarted the smart watch revolution, we've met the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9, and Google has shown us what the future of mobile looks like with Android 5.0 Lollipop.

It's just getting started, though. As well as all the annual updates we've come to expect each year, 2015 will see Google have a crack at some entirely new platforms, as well as having another go at ones it has tried and failed to exploit in the past.

Want to know more? Read on to find out all the new advancements to expect from Google HQ in 2015.

Android M

One thing to look forward to even if you have no plans to buy a new phone or tablet next year is the next major version of Android. Will it be Android 5.1 or Android 6.0? Is Google going to go for a Malteasers tie-in, or will it be called Marzipan? We just don't know yet.

Traditionally the major new versions of Android are shown off at the Google I/O developer conference, which in 2015 is to be held between June 24 and June 26. That's a bit of a long wait, but far from a full year.

As Android 5.0 introduced a brand new UI style, called Material, it seems likely that the next main version with focus on altering the feature set rather than the look. That doesn't necessarily mean adding loads of the things, but could well involve redesigning things like multi-tasking, how notifications function and how the back-end performs.

In time we're sure to see some leaks that tell us a bit more about what to expect. But for now it's largely a case of guess-work, beyond predictable improvements to integration with things like Android Wear watches, Android TV and Chromecast.

Cardboard vs Oculus Rift

At first Google Cardboard seemed like a joke. It's a cardboard VR headset into which you slot a Nexus 5 to get an Oculus Rift-style experience on a shoestring budget.

The only 'meat' to Cardboard is a pair of plastic magnifying lenses that trick your eyes into thinking you're seeing a much larger display than the 5-inch one perched just in front of your eyeballs. Google has really beefed-up the Cardboard from the back-end recently, though, making it much easier to see which apps offer cardboard support. Support for devs has increased too, with a new SDK for Unity meaning VR Cardboard games will be relatively easy to make.

Looking to VR also helps to explain some of the design decisions in the Nexus 6 too. The large 6-inch OLED display is just perfect for a phone-based VR headset, with the response times needed to avoid the motion sickness caused when using an LCD screen.

It seems highly likely that Google will release a more upscale headset frame in 2015, one designed for the Nexus 6, or at least encourage third party manufacturers to start producing their own. It can't let the Sony Project Morpheus and Oculus Rift have all the fun.

Android to go in cars with Auto

2014 saw Android cram its way into watches in the form of Android Wear. But it's not stopping there.

In 2015 it's going to start being used in cars, courtesy of Android Auto. The system has already been shown off at the LA Auto Show, and it'll feature in the 2015 edition of the Hyundai Sonata, among other models.

Rather like CarPlay, the Apple equivalent, it hooks up with your Android phone and is operated using a big display on the main control panel of the car. The main use for it is pretty obvious: GPS navigation.

Like Android Wear, Auto uses a clear and simple interface that takes cues from Google Now, with basic apps and notifications. Using your phone's data connection, it offers full voice recognition to avoid you having to take your eyes off the road, letting you control music with your voice and more.

Absolutely loads of car makers have signed up to work with Google on Android Auto, including leviathans like Volkswagen, Renault and Ford.

We'll have to wait to see the exact models it turns up in, though. Before you get too excited, don't expect to see it in your basic supermini as it'll likely command a fair premium, just as Apple CarPlay does in the few models that offer it. Tablets may cost pennies these days, but getting a big screen in a car costs a fair old whack.

Google Glass to get less nerdy

Google Glass is the nerd core show-off gadget of choice for many flush geeks, but soon it may be a lot more, well, normal-looking.

At present, Glass uses a chunky plastic prism onto which the glasses' display is projected, giving that iconic Google Glass look that makes some people want to punch Glass owners in the face. Not to mention mug them down a dark alley.

However, the next version is likely to use a smaller display unit, and a smaller 'brain' and battery. Google Projects' Babak Parviz talked in 2014 of their intention to make Google Glass 'disappear' on your head, and while Parviz has since scarpered off to Amazon, we assume he wasn't the only one to have this aim.

Getting smaller and neater is a natural progression. Every year chips miniaturise and get more effective, enabling smaller components across the board.

We also reckon the 2015 Google Glass may be cheaper. As it sheds the early adopter 'Explorer' tag, Google's going to want to make it a more accessible gadget all-round.

Android in TVs, but properly this time

Android on TVs is nothing new. Google had a stab at it with Google TV years ago, something that's all-but forgotten, and there have been loads of set-top boxes running some version or other of Android. They range from the dreadful to the really quite good — the Amazon Fire TV box being the current star.

However, in 2015 we'll see a renaissance of Android on your TV, because of Android TV, a platform Google unveiled in 2014 during the I/O conference. The software is here, and it uses Android 5.0 Lollipop at its core, the same found in the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9.

What we're waiting for is the hardware. At present there's the Nexus Player, a tiny little set-top box, but it's only available in selected territories and really isn't there yet in terms of what you can do with it.

We want to see some other manufacturers jump into bed with Android TV, to produce (fingers crossed) an even lower-cost alternative to the Amazon Fire TV. Android TV is also set to be built into TVs from Sharp, Sony and Philips in 2015.

Proving 64-bit in mobile actually matters

Android 5.0 L is the first version of Google's mobile OS to offer native support for 64-bit processors. We're starting to see them roll-out, and by half-way through 2015 just about every new phone under the sun will have a 64-bit processor. But what will they be good for?

We're hoping Google will show us next year. There's a common perception that the main benefit is that 64-bit system can use 4GB of RAM or more, but that's really just a side benefit.

64-bit CPUs are going to offer way more processor registers than current 32-bit chips, and that'll hugely increase their ability to process large amounts of data at once.

Despite offering 64-bit support, Google hasn't made a big song and dance about it yet. After all, even its own Nexus 6 doesn't have a 64-bit processor. The 64-bit resolution will be something for 2015 to tackle.

How that'll pan out in Android itself remains to be seen, but it's certainly something to look forward to. One likely benefit is next-gen multi-tasking. Samsung has offered plenty of the stuff in its own custom Android interfaces, but we have a feeling Google may bake-in more sophisticated multitasking in Android next year.

Android Wear's response to the Apple Watch

Google managed to get the jump on Apple with its Android smart watches. By the time the Apple Watch is released, Wear watches will have been out for a full six months.

But how is Google going to respond to Apple's Watch? This is something we're looking forward to finding out about in 2015. We'll likely see tighter integration between watch and phone, increased app support and greater customisation. Android Wear only just got its own section on Google Play — it's a real baby in Android terms.

Google's part in this is of course important, but the new hardware is just as crucial. HTC is going to release its first Android Wear watch in 2015, and the LG G Watch R2 is rumoured to be the first Wear watch to have its own 4G connection, making it far less dependent on a phone.

But will Google or its manufacturing partners address the biggest problem with Android Wear watches, that battery life is pretty much universally rubbish?

Android Silver might become a reality

Android Silver — is it dead or just waiting for 2015? For those not in the know, Android Silver is the long-rumoured series of high-end Android phones that use vanilla Android rather than a custom interface. It's like the Google Play Editions we've already seen, but on a much larger scale.

While these phones have been hotly tipped since early 2014, Silver has reportedly been put on hold after manufacturers simply weren't that interested in the project. It is rather like saying "See all that stuff you've been working on for years? Yeh, bin all that" to companies like Samsung and LG.

Back in May it was reported that LG is to release one of the first Silver phones in 2015, but will it actually turn up? We don't have much faith that it will, not when the Nexus 6 has only just arrived.

Will Android's 2015 cloud have a silver lining? (Sorry… couldn't resist.)

Chrome and YouTube to go child friendly

Google is working on kid-friendly versions of Chrome and YouTube (which it owns) designed for users of 12 years and under. The younger generation is in Google's sights for 2015.

We've seen a handful of tablets designed for kids, but they've almost been universally rubbish, just budget tablets with some half-baked parental control features and lots of colourful plastic.

These kid-friendly versions of apps could well be the start of a move towards bambino-friendly tablets, with potentially much greater optimisation for young users built into Nexus devices. At present there's a bit (you can setup a limited user profile for the kids) but Google could easily do a lot more in this area.

It'd be a sensible move too. Low-cost tablets like the Tesco Hudl 2 are nigh-on perfect family devices, but there isn't really all that much optimisation for younger users. Of course, plenty of them are more advanced than the parents who bought the thing.