Google’s yearly developer conference is returning to the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View next week, and we will be back as well after four years. The start keynote is often filled with information and details about the software projects Google has been working on for the past year.
The event set to start on May 10th at 10 o’clock in the morning Pacific Time will be a great presentation of all that is coming with Android 14. Comparably, there have been some missteps made by the corporation within the current competitive environment of AI technology – who could have guessed, after all this time, that Bing would eventually experience considerable success?
Sundar Pichai, the CEO, will undoubtedly propose that the firm maintains its position as the forerunner in artificial intelligence. In past years, the event has generally focused on real-world applications such as mobile imaging and customer service; however, this year, it is safe to presume that the company will ardently indulge in the technology.
Hardware is often a chance at developer conferences. After a year of bad news across the industry, there have been tons of rumors. All the rumors keep pointing to a keynote focused mainly on consumer electronics. Since the attention of TechCrunch is on this type of thing, I will start with what would be expected.
The Pixel 7a is as reliable as they come. Google has created a regular timeline for releasing new devices each year, with a top-of-the-line version in the fall and a more affordable version in the spring. The flagship models are built to show off the newest operating system and hardware, whereas the budget versions make certain cutbacks to keep the cost down but still have a lot of the same features as the higher end models.
— Google India (@GoogleIndia) May 2, 2023
This highly effective system was put in place by Google, and they’ve produced some amazing devices at reasonable costs. Google made the news even bigger when they announced through a Twitter tweet that their newest device would be released May 11th, right after the I/O event and, likely not coincidentally, my birthday. India was then given the details by Google. Cally revealed the news, which was probably expected as the company is expected to vigorously go after the largest smartphone market with the product. The picture implies that it has a practically identical look as the 7, something that is not unexpected. Even though it does not explicitly mention the name, which has happened before.
Essentially, anticipate the 7 to be made up of less expensive components. Reports indicate that the 6.1-inch device will have a 90Hz refresh rate and a 64-megapixel back camera. The Tensor G2, which was debuted with the 7, will function again and likely has the same software characteristics it had when it was initially introduced.
It is definite that a Pixel Tablet is arriving at some point. Last year at the event, Google reported on its existence, setting a release date in 2023 and showcasing a depiction of it with the other Pixel items. There are two prospects that Google is probably going to make a major announcement next week or between September and October. I will be very astonished if the much-anticipated re-entry into the category doesn’t acquire at least some acknowledgement. It would be shocking if Google reentered the Android tablet market without creating a unique concept. The Android tablet has not been successful in the past, so Google needs to introduce something novel if they want to prevail.
The information revealed in these leaks suggests that the structure of the system will be greatly altered in a way akin to Amazon’s Fire tablets. This will be a drastic divergence from the iPad model that has become so commonplace in the tech sector. Additionally, the rumors indicate that the Tensor G2 with 8GB of RAM could be equipped with the device as well.
Here it goes, everyone: the Pixel Fold by Google. It appears as though the tech giant has already been preparing for its own foldable device for quite a while. Just a couple of weeks back, here is what I wrote:
In 2018, Google revealed support for foldable screens in Android, with Samsung already being an established partner and the main beneficiary at the time. The search giant aimed to make Android development easier for other Original Equipment Manufacturers who wanted to create the same device type. The next year, a few patents for Google foldable tech emerged, however, it must be noted that patents don’t necessarily indicate that a product is being developed. It appears that the foldable technology has become increasingly popular in recent years. I was astounded by all of the models presented at Mobile World Congress in March. The recent renderings suggest the fact that it may be more comparable to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold in design than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. Additionally, it appears to take some design cues from Oppo’s foldable, which is for the most part a positive sign. EV Leaks claims the foldable device is 28.3 grams in weight and has a thickness of 0.5 inches when folded and 0.2 inches when unfolded.
The fact that foldable phones are no longer a rare tech, as our visit to a tech convention in February proved, means they are gradually getting more affordable. And it isn’t far-fetched to believe that, soon, many Android phone makers will make devices of this type. So, it makes perfect sense then, for why Google should join the flock too.
It looks like a Google/Nest AirTag rival may be in store, based on the company’s recent partnership with Apple for making a standard for that category. Nevertheless, most reports allude to the unlikeliness of either new Pixel Buds or Pixel Watch 2 being unveiled. Notably, given that we barely witnessed any new Nest products last year, the probability of getting news about home products seems to be further reduced.
Android is a key matter discussed at I/O due to its influence. Already, we have seen parts of the mobile operating system released in the form of the beta. Frederic said in the month of March that the features Google has discussed concentrate mainly on the developers, with only a couple of user-facing features being made visible. The second preview is similarly focused on increasing safety and privacy.
It appears the operating system, referred to as Upside Down Cake internally, is poised for a release in late-July or August. Its anticipated features include improved battery life, enhanced accessibility, and security measures to thwart users from downloading outdated apps that could contain malware.
AI will become pervasive and AI generated technology (Bard) will be integrated into most existing Google products that are used by consumers. Search and Chrome web browser will be likely recipients of this AI technology.
A sneak peek of a fresh Wear OS is probable. I would not expect much news regarding augmented/virtual reality, however, I would be taken aback if it did not get at least some attention, considering the reported developments Apple has planned for June.
The start time for the keynote is 10 AM Pacific Time on May 10. TechCrunch will keep everyone up to date with the latest information as it happens.
