Google's annual showcase unveils new connections

For high-tech firms, much of the enthusiasm behind the emerging wearable devices comes from the prospect of a bountiful data platform. Companies providing software or making these devices see revenue potential in helping customers store and manage data.

In the Wednesday keynote speech, Sundar Pichai, Google's senior vice-president of Android, Chrome and Apps, said that Google would share basic design building blocks of smartphones with manufacturers in developing countries. Its platforms slated for release include Mobile Momentum, Platform Evolution and Developer Success.

According to Pichai, Google's global smartphone shipments reached 315 million in Q4 of 2013, and its Android tablet activations had an increase of 62 percent in 2014.

The 30-day active Android users reached 538 million in 2013, and its 30-day active users on the Android platform have now reached 1 billion. Its next goal is to reach 5 billion people.

"We are pooling our resources to work on a set of platforms including high quality smartphones, turnkey solutions for our OEM vendors and partnerships on software to innovate our user-friendly experience," said Pichai.

Kun Wu, senior project leader of TouchPal, a mobile software developer running on multiple platforms including Android, iOS, Windows Mobile and Windows 8 based in Shanghai, said he was impressed by all the new products and services released at the I/O.

"The new announcement gives us better ideas of what kind of new services are delivered on Google's Android platform, which is the most used platform in China," said Wu.

Avi Greengart, research director of consumer platforms and devices at Current Analysis, based in New York, said Google's release shows "a new, graphically consistent version of Android coming later this year, and extending Android from phone to tablet, TV, car and wrist. However, it did not talk about Glass, Nest, Google+, or Search. Nor did it talk about expanding its presence in China with Lenovo."

Google said it has paid developers around the world $5 billion for purchases related to their apps.

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