Google I/O 2023: Event date, schedule and what all to expect

Google I/O 2023: Event date

Google’s annual developer conference typically occurs in May, and this year is no exception. Following a global collaborative effort to solve this year’s puzzle, it was revealed that Google I/O will take place on May 10th. Although the event will be in-person like last year’s Google I/O, it will be limited to a live audience, and Google is encouraging most people to attend the event online. Unlike previous years, this year’s Google I/O will only last one day, as opposed to the previous three-day format. It appears that the company intends to shift focus away from a concentrated event and instead provide ongoing support to Android and web developers through other channels, such as more Google I/O Connect events planned worldwide in the coming months. Google I/O 2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2021 event was entirely online. However, this year’s opening keynote and many of the expected panels will be available online, as they have been for the past decade.

How to watch

Registration for the event is now open on Google’s website, but a Google account is required to participate. However, if you only wish to view the main keynote, it will likely be available on YouTube without needing to register. The keynote is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. PT and 1 p.m. ET on May 10th, and a link to watch it will be provided closer to the time.

What can we expect at Google I/O 2023?

The official schedule for Google I/O 2023 was released by Google on April 27, 2023. As this year’s conference only takes place on a single day, the schedule is more condensed than usual. The program is divided into four distinct sections, each highlighting the conference’s main themes: mobile, web, AI, and cloud.

The customary opening of Google I/O is the general Google keynote, which will commence at 10 a.m. PT and 1 p.m. ET. It will provide an overview of all the topics that the company will cover during the event, including the most significant and consumer-oriented announcements. Following the keynote, there will be individual and concurrent events covering subjects in the four primary sections mentioned earlier.

Google will likely use its AI announcements to rekindle excitement around its projects in this field. The company currently trails behind its competitors in this domain, with Bing Chat emerging as a serious threat.

Google I/O attendees can expect to learn more about Google’s plans for Android 14 and the next iterations of ChromeOS. The company has also planned specialized panels on topics such as Google Pay and Google Wallet, Material Design, Google Home, and the web. As a developer conference, attendees can anticipate in-depth discussions on programming languages like Dart, Flutter, Firebase, and machine learning.

Furthermore, Google is expected to unveil new hardware, such as the budget Google Pixel 7a or the Google Pixel Fold. It’s also highly likely that Google will introduce various Android 14 features and instruct developers on how best to utilize them.

According to a recent report by The New York Times, Google responded with a code red alert after the release of ChatGPT 4.0 and Bing’s chat-based search. In response, the company hastily organized a Live from Paris event to showcase its own chatbot-based search engine, called Google Bard. While the chatbot was launched in limited beta in the U.S. and U.K. in March 2023 and has garnered attention for its amusing responses and quirks, it and its competitors have the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with technology in the coming years. There are even rumors of a Google Bard widget coming to Pixel phones in the near future, as per a recent leak.

As per a New York Times report, Google is working on several AI innovations that may be unveiled at this year’s Google I/O conference. One of the new tools in development is an image generation studio that will allow users to create and edit images. Additionally, Google may introduce the third iteration of its AI Test Kitchen, which is used to test upcoming AI features publicly. Another potential innovation is a Shopping Try-on feature for YouTube that will use green screen technology to help users try on clothes without leaving their house. Google is also reportedly working on Maya, a tool that can visualize shoes in 3D, as well as a video summarization tool that can generate shorter videos from longer ones. There may also be a wallpaper creation tool for Google Pixel phones and an unnamed tool that is designed to help other companies build their own AI applications.

Google Pixel 7a and the Google Pixel Fold at Google I/O 2023

Google is expected to finally release the Google Pixel Tablet at this year’s developer conference, which was first announced at the previous year’s event but has yet to become available to the public. In addition, the company is set to unveil the launch date and pricing for the tablet. Another highly anticipated announcement is the launch of the Google Pixel 7a, which has been teased by Google itself with a launch date set for the day after the event on May 11. Leaks suggest that the Pixel 7a will be almost identical to the Pixel 7, but with a smaller size and less premium materials. However, while the Pixel 6a was announced at last year’s conference, it didn’t go on sale until the end of July.

Google officially announced the Pixel Fold on May 4, 2023, through a tweet and a launch page on its Google Store website, promising to reveal more information about it at Google I/O. This is the first time the phone has been acknowledged by Google, and high-quality press renders have been released, giving us a glimpse of its design. However, specific details are still being kept under wraps, despite many leaks revealing almost everything about the foldable phone. Stay tuned for the Google I/O conference to hear confirmation of these details. The Pixel Fold is rumored to be available for pre-order on the Google Store immediately following the event, with a release date of approximately one month later. As Google’s first folding phone, the Pixel Fold could be a forerunner of a new era of foldable devices from other manufacturers.

At Google I/O 2023, we may get a sneak peek at the upcoming Google Pixel 8 lineup, similar to how the company teased the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro last year. Additionally, there may be some news on a successor to the Google Pixel Watch. However, there have been few substantial rumors regarding new Google Nest home devices, and the Assistant team’s restructuring to focus on the Bard chatbot suggests that we may not see any new Assistant-powered Nest devices at the event.

Android 14 at Google I/O 2023

The Android 14 preview is currently available for developers and early adopters who are willing to use beta software. While the initial builds appear similar to Android 13, those who enjoy tinkering and experts like Mishaal Rahman are uncovering numerous hidden features. It is expected that Google will unveil many of these features at Google I/O 2023 and release Android 14 Beta 2 shortly thereafter, which is scheduled to be launched in May.