The pressure promises to be intense on the shoulders of Sundar Pichai, the head of Google, and his acolytes. On Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. (Paris time), the company is preparing to kick off Google I/O, the great annual gathering dedicated to developers who will come to the Shoreline Amphitheater to discover all the news about Google I/O. that they can integrate into their apps for smartphones and tablets in particular. But not only.
Because this great commotion in May has become the highlight of the American giant, which usually reveals its great projects there, but also comes to anticipate its future products (the Pixel 7 and the Pixel Tablet from last year), or even to present them. ahead of its imminent release. (the Pixel a range). And the 2023 vintage should not be an exception to the rule. Because alongside Android 14, we’re expecting a whole host of products and a word on generative AI projects around Bard in particular.
A busy schedule ahead
pixel 7a
It is rumored that it could be the last of the line, but Google should not overlook the little brother of its range of smartphones. After the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro at the start of the 2022 school year, the Pixel 7a is expected. Like the previous iterations, it will try to propose a more compact size, some minor possibilities in photography or advanced functions. Undoubtedly betrayed by numerous leaks, however, the Pixel 7a seems to announce itself with massive changes: we are talking about a smoother screen with a refresh rate of 90 Hz instead of 60 Hz, a main photosensor that would go to 64 Mpex. accompanied by an ultra wide angle. On the news side, there could also be a sky blue color and wireless charging. All for a price that would exceed 500 euros.
pixel fold
He is the only one we are sure to run into during the introductory speech. And for good reason, Google unveiled the surprise last week with a simple tweet. Arlesian for a long time, the Pixel Fold exists. It seems to have a very clear resemblance to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, from which it takes up the lines and the concept of a smartphone turned into a tablet -but probably in a smaller size-, a less popular format than the Z Flip taken by Oppo, Motorola or Huawei . It’s expected to ship the Google Tensor G2 chip, offer three cameras on the back, and plenty of photo-editing features we’ve grown accustomed to finding on Pixels. Its price is advertised quite high.
pixel tablet
It would be surprising not to finally see Google’s tablet given that the latter had announced it here last year. A lot of information about him has also been leaked through Amazon, which has published his file. The first Android tablet for the home doesn’t seem revolutionary both visually and in terms of possibilities and will be part of the Pixel family with classic features displayed by smartphones, but also smart displays from the Nest Hub range. Enough to serve as a functional hub for home automation and a wide screen on the go (11 inches). It would rotate thanks to the Tensor G2 chip and would carry two front photo sensors and three microphones for quality video calls, but also for facial recognition and gesture controls. And for ease of use, Google has already announced the presence of a dock to bring us even closer to the Nest Hub.
bard and artificial intelligence
Barring one big surprise, artificial intelligence should take pride of place during the keynote address. With the deployment of Bard, the internal version of ChatGPT, which was delayed in its launch and experienced some hiccups, the time has come to make a strong impression and prevent OpenAI and even Microsoft from getting off the ground. There is no doubt that Google will use its own event to show that it is in the race for generative AI and will present new features to facilitate the use of its own services (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Search, Photos, Maps, Google Assistant, Google Tandem…). It’s rumored that Bard could also help with creating lines of code, images, video, and even to bolster augmented reality. It remains to be seen if this will continue to be a bit reserved for developers or if Google will open it up to the general public.
· And Android 14 in all this?
This will not be the year of great revolutions a priori. Android 14 should refine achievements. The beta version already available to developers didn’t leak anything really new. A few additions to photo privacy and security, like passwords, device syncing, better screen time management, and accessibility improvements, created a bit of a buzz.
Possible chef surprises
Google certainly has other products in its pocket and could, for example, introduce new Pixel Buds Pro headphones or even a basic version of the Pixel Buds, matching the colors of 2023. While Google has partnered with Apple to design a common standard for iOS and Android to prevent unwanted tracking by trackers, we are still waiting to discover a homemade Bluetooth beacon.
Last year, Google I / O stopped any leak by showing the designs of the future Pixel 7 months before its launch. Will we have the right to an encore repetition for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro? Possibly with the information whispered around future flagships (new general design, new camera module, a video blur management feature, etc.).
The Google I/O conference can be followed on the Tech&Co site starting at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10.
Source: BFM TV
