Microsoft began inviting the press to its Build 2022 keynote on Wednesday night (India time), noting that the annual developer conference will start on May 24. In light of the rising cases of Covid-19 in many parts of the world this year, this year’s keynote will be virtual. Microsoft’s Build developer conference usually takes place in person.
Build 2022’s invitation to developers reads, “Join peers and experts for an engaging experience around the latest tools and innovations that will help you stay informed.” The conference will be free and registration opens in April.
Build is a large developer conference like Apple’s WWDC and Google I/O that focuses on developing tools, applications, and services. Microsoft has occasionally shared consumer-related news during the Build conferences, even though the past conferences have focused more on the enterprise market. Microsoft Teams, Visual Studio, and Windows 11 will be featured at Build 2022. Is Microsoft going to show off a new VR/AR headset at Build 2022? Microsoft’s interest in the metaverse makes that possibility possible.
Besides Microsoft, Google and Apple will also hold developer conferences in the near future. The annual Google I/O developer conference takes place May 11-12. Google is expected to announce a follow-up to its Android 12 operating system, a Pixel watch, and the next budget Pixel phone at this year’s event. Google announced Android 12, major updates to WearOS and Project Starline, its new video-chat technology, at I/O 2021.
Also in June, Apple will hold its annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), although the official invitations have not been released yet. There’s a good chance this year’s WWDC will be a virtual event instead of an in-person conference. Apple announced iOS 15, macOS Monterey, WatchOS 8 and more during the conference last year.