Google Developer Annual The convention returns to the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View next week, and for the first time in four years, we’re back with it. The opening keynote is always jam-packed and informative, debuting all the different software projects the company has been working on over the past year.
triggering event May 10 at 10 a.m. PT It would be a huge showcase for everything in its path for Android 14. The company has arguably missed a step when it comes to the current generative rush of AI — hell, who could have predicted after all these years that Bing would finally have a moment?
There is no doubt that Sundar Pichai, CEO, will prove that the company continues to lead the way in the world of artificial intelligence. There was always a fair amount of stuff at the event that focused heavily on real-world practical applications like mobile photography and dealing with customer service. This year, however, I’d say it’s safe to say the company is going to get a handle on those things.
Hardware, meanwhile, is always a bit of a crapshoot at developer conferences. But after a lull in the year for the industry as a whole, a series of rumors are coming together, pointing to what is likely to be an unusually consumer electronics-focused keyword. Given the fact that the latter part is my focus at TechCrunch, I’ll start the list there.
The Pixel 7a is about as sure as the stakes get. Google has settled into a relaxed release cadence: launching a flagship in the fall, followed by a budget device in the spring. The former is designed to be a perfect showcase for the latest mobile operating system and first-party silicon, while the latter makes some compromises on price, keeping as many of its predecessors as possible.
It’s a good system that works, and the Google-focused mobile hardware team has recently created some surprisingly good devices at very reasonable prices. Never outdone by the flood of rumors, the company went ahead and announced via Twitter that its next device will be released on May 11th — the day after I/O and, perhaps not coincidentally, my birthday. It was Google India specifically that made this announcement – perhaps unsurprising, as the company is likely aggressively targeting the number one smartphone market in the world with the product. The image suggests a very similar design to the 7 — not really a surprise as these things go. Although he is not limited to actually mentioning the name, as has been the case in the past.
Expect 7 with cheaper materials. Rumors point to a 6.1-inch device that features a 90Hz refresh rate, along with a 64MP rear camera. Tensor G2 returns from 7 commands, likely bringing with it many of the program’s features it enabled the first time around.
Image credits: Google
We know for sure that the Pixel Tablet is coming…at some point. Google confirmed the device’s existence at last year’s event, and provided a 2023 release date, along with a render along with the rest of the current Pixel lineup. In fact, there are two points this year when Google is likely to announce it officially: next week or September/October. I’d be shocked if the company’s long-awaited (?) re-entry into the category didn’t get, at least, a short while. As a category, the Android tablet has been hit or miss over the years — the company is supposed/hopefully got a unique spin here. I’d be surprised if Google jumped back into the space without some kind of new angle.
The leaks point to a design that would effectively turn the system into one giant Nest dock. it’s not completely Originally, Amazon tried something similar with its Fire tablets, but it would certainly buck the iPad model, which is so prevalent in the industry. Other rumors include the Tensor G2 mentioned above, along with 8GB of RAM.
Here’s your wildcard, folks: pixel fold. It looks like Google has been laying the groundwork for a foldable for years. This is what I wrote two weeks ago:
Some background information here. First, Google announced foldable screen support for Android back in 2018. Samsung was clearly the big partner and recipient in those days, and Google wanted to make Android development as frictionless as possible for other OEMs in exploring the form factor.
The following year, Google’s foldable patents came out. Now, we’re all adults here, who implicitly understand that patents don’t mean a company is working on a product. However, it is another major data point in this story. In the intervening years, foldable devices have begun to gather steam, even outside Samsung’s orbit. I was really amazed at the number of different models that were populating the halls of MWC this March.
Leaked renders point more to the form factor of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. It also seems to share some common design DNA with Oppo’s foldable recently, which honestly is the right direction. EV Leaks says the Fold is half an inch thick when folded and 0.2 inches unfolded, and the weight comes in at 283 grams.
As evidenced by our trip to MWC in February, foldable devices are no longer fringe devices. It is true that they are still quite expensive for most people, but it will soon reach the point where the Android manufacturer will take an edge in this category. So why not use Google?
Other, less likely hardware rumors include a Google/Nest AirTag competitor (the company announced yesterday that it’s working with Apple to create a category standard), new Pixel Buds and a Pixel Watch 2. I’d say that’s all unlikely — that last one in particular. We didn’t get much in regards to last year’s Nest products, but so far there aren’t a lot of rumors about the home products.
Image credits: Brian Heater
Android is always a pillar of support at I/O for obvious reasons. We’ve already discovered some key glimpses of the mobile operating system, by way of betas. As Frederick noted in March, “So far, most of the features Google has been talking about have also been developer centric, with only a handful of user-facing features shown so far. This also applies to this second preview, which is mostly focused on adding New security and privacy features.
Dubbed Internally Upside Down Cake, the operating system is likely set for a summer release in late July or August. At the top of the list of potential features are a battery life boost (one of these can always be used), additional accessibility features, and privacy/security features, which include blocking users from installing outdated apps due to malware concerns.
Artificial intelligence will be everywhere. Expect generative (Bard) AI in particular to appear in nearly every existing piece of consumer software from Google, similar to Gmail and Docs. Search and the Chrome browser are two main targets here.
A preview of the new Wear OS seems likely. I’m not expecting much news on the AR/VR side of things, but I’d also be surprised if you didn’t at least get a nod, given what Apple was said to be working on in June.
The keyword begins at 10 a.m. PT on May 10th. As always, TechCrunch will bring you the news as it happens.
