The next batch of big Google announcements is almost here.
On May 10, Google will convene for its annual I/O conference(opens in a new tab) in-person for the first time since before COVID. When all is said and done, we expect to know a lot more about Google’s software and hardware plans for 2023 and maybe even beyond.
But what, specifically, do we expect to see? Let’s dig in.
Google launched Bard despite major ethical concerns from its employees
Android 14
We’ll get to hardware in a second, but Google I/O is traditionally a software-focused show. Every year, we learn more about the newest upcoming version of Android, and there’s no reason to expect anything different about I/O 2023.
With that in mind, a good portion of the show will probably be dedicated to Android 14. Android Authority(opens in a new tab) has a handy rundown of all the new features that are available in Android 14 beta builds, but the gist of it is that you shouldn’t expect anything too revolutionary this year.
Fonts can go larger than before, you can enable a camera or screen flash whenever a push notification pops up, and small behind-the-scenes changes could make battery life better. Aside from that, Android 14 will also disable installing really old Android apps (for security reasons), among other small changes for data privacy’s sake.
AI updates
One of the most intriguing things we could see at I/O is also one of the vaguest.
Google’s I/O announcement blog post(opens in a new tab) back in March said AI would be featured, but didn’t say how. Google has been on a real AI kick lately, with the launch of the Bard chatbot, a ChatGPT competitor. One possible development to keep an eye on is the rumored AI search engine Google is building. We don’t yet know exactly how that will work, but I/O would be a reasonable place to show it off.
Pixel Fold
One of the most persistently rumored Google products of the last couple of years is the Pixel Fold. According to recent reporting by CNBC, you can almost certainly expect to see the new device, which will be Google’s first foldable, at I/O this year with a June launch date.
Per various rumors and leaks, expect the Pixel Fold to look something like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. It supposedly has a 5.8-inch outer display, a 7.6-inch inner display, and a very durable hinge for folding and unfolding the phone throughout your day. CNBC reported that the device could have 24-hour battery life and cost as much as $1,700, too.
Other odds and ends include 256GB of base storage and “Porcelain” and “Carbon” color choices, if rumors are to be believed. It most likely won’t be long before we know for sure what is in store for the Pixel Fold.
Pixel 7a
Google releasing a cheaper and only slightly compromised version of last year’s flagship Pixel device has become an annual tradition. That’s probably going to continue at I/O 2023.
Various rumors and leaks have painted a picture of the Pixel 7a that’s roughly in line with what you’d expect if you’ve followed Google’s phone releases over the years. For starters, it’ll probably look a lot like a Pixel 7, with a big horizontal camera bar on the back. Vietnamese outlet ZingNews(opens in a new tab) posted images that purport to show the Pixel 7a, and it sure looks a lot like last year’s phone.
According to 9to5Google(opens in a new tab), the 7a will cost $500, a $50 price bump from last year. That increase isn’t coming without some upgrades, though, as the phone allegedly has a 50MP main camera on the back, a new 90Hz display (up from 60Hz last year), and a second-gen Tensor chip for upgraded performance.
In other words, the Pixel 7a will probably continue being one of the best smartphone deals in town.
Pixel Tablet
The last thing you can probably count on seeing at Google I/O this year is actually something that briefly showed up at the event last year: The Pixel Tablet.
Yes, Google is making its own in-house Android tablet, though many of the specifics are still unknown. We know that it looks like a pretty conventional tablet via photos on Google’s website(opens in a new tab). According to a report from 9to5Google(opens in a new tab), it’ll run on a second-gen Tensor chip with 8GB of RAM and Android 13 as its operating system.
Another interesting tidbit from 9to5Google’s report is that the Pixel Tablet may not come with a traditional USB-C charging brick. Instead, it’s said to include a charging speaker dock that was previously announced last year. We don’t know the price of the tablet itself, but the dock will supposedly cost(opens in a new tab) a whopping $129 on its own.
If you love Google hardware and have been in the market for a tablet, this is one to keep an eye on.
