Google I/O 2023: Here's what was announced

Google I/O 2023 has come to a close. Google fully announced a ton of hardware at its annual developer’s conference. We also got news on the latest version of Android, Google software products, and a few special surprises!

As always, Google I/O is mostly about developer-related news and advancements. This guide, though, is all about consumer-focused things we saw at the event.

Google I/O 2023: Important information

• What is Google I/O? Google I/O is the search giant’s yearly developer conference. It’s where developers get updated on the latest technology to improve their apps and other services for the Google ecosystem. It’s also one of the main events for new Google announcements.
• When was Google I/O 2023? This year, Google I/O took place on Wednesday, May 10. Unlike past years, the event only lasted for one day.
• Where was Google I/O 2023 held? Google invited select members of the media and the development community for in-person attendance at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California. For the general public, the event was available for viewing online. If you missed it, you can still watch the Google I/O recap.

What will we see at Google I/O 2023?

Google made a plethora of announcements during the event. Here’s what we saw during the show:

• Android 14
• Pixel 7a
• Google Pixel Fold
• Google Pixel Tablet
• Other things

Android 14

Android 14 is already well on its way. Google started and ended the developer preview portion of the launch, and we’re already into public betas. In fact, if you own a supported Pixel phone, you can install Android 14 right now. At Google I/O 2023, the company made a few Android 14-related announcements.

VP of Engineering for Android David Burke previewed a handful of features that will help users create custom wallpapers. One allows users to create a wallpaper using up to 14 emojis. Another feature will make it possible to make “Cinematic” wallpapers. Both of these features are scheduled to arrive on a new beta in June 2023.

Later this year, in the fall, however, Google plans to debut a generative AI wallpaper maker. This will allow users to dream up unique images and turn them into reality through wallpapers.

Something else coming to Android 14 is customizable lock screen clocks and shortcuts. Clocks will be available in several different styles. Shortcuts like Flashlight and Screen Record will be available on the bottom corners of the screen.

Other than these updates, there are not many substantial differences between Android 13 and 14. The stable launch of the new operating system should come sometime in August if Google sticks to its current Android 14 schedule.

Google Pixel 7a

We already knew a lot about the Google Pixel 7a before the event due to numerous rumors and leaks. In fact, people were already selling them on eBay prior to I/O. But after the Google I/O announcement, we have now been introduced to the phone officially.

Notably, the Pixel 7a landed with wireless charging (at a very slow 7.5W) and a 90Hz display refresh rate. These are two features we’ve never seen on an A-series Pixel before.

Elsewhere, the Pixel 7a specs stayed true to the general guidelines we’ve seen with the Pixel 6a. As expected, Google gave it a Tensor G2 as the SoC, a dual-lens camera system (with the main lens upgraded to a 64MP sensor), and some trimmed design elements to keep the price down, such as a plastic back.

Unfortunately, the rumors were true; the Pixel 7a did end up being more expensive than its predecessors. The price jumped up by $50, coming in with a price tag of $499 in the United States. That puts the Pixel 7a only $100 under the Pixel 7. It’s also selling for $599 (CAD) in Canada, €509 in Europe, and £499 in the UK.

In a twist, Google won’t be putting the Pixel 7a up for preorders. Instead, the company made the phone available today. You can read our full Pixel 7a review to see if you might want to buy it.

Google Pixel Fold

After a full year of leaks, we finally saw the Google Pixel Fold debut. The phone is more compact than a Galaxy Z Fold 4, and it borrows some design elements from the Pixel 7 series. Google even claims that it is the thinnest foldable on the market, but adds the caveat of in markets it’s sold in.

The phone runs on a Tensor G2 chip, has a 120Hz FHD+ 2,092 x 1,080 OLED display, and offers 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM with 256GB/512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The Pixel Fold was shown to have a Flex Mode-style ability similar to what’s found on Samsung’s foldables. Additionally, it has a Samsung-style ability to take selfies with the main camera by using the external screen as the viewfinder.

Google also cleared up the biggest question mark surrounding the device — the battery life. The Pixel Fold has a 4,821mAh battery with a fast charge speed of 30W. And it will come with wireless charging like the Pixel 7 line.

As far as pricing goes, this thing won’t be cheap. The handset will run you $1,799 / £1,749 / €1,899 for the 256GB storage version. For the 512GB storage variant, you can expect to pony up $1,919.

Although the Pixel Fold got its spotlight during the event, it’s not available yet. However, Google opened up pre-orders with general sales slated to start in June. The foldable will only be available in the US, UK, Germany, and Japan. Anyone who pre-orders the Fold will get a free Pixel Watch, unless you’re in Japan. Check out our hands-on with the Pixel Fold to get a better idea of what to expect.

Google Pixel Tablet

First revealed at Google I/O 2022, the Google Pixel Tablet is now ready for launch. In fact, pre-orders have just gone live, with in-store availability to come on June 20.

The tech giant’s new tablet sports a 2,560 x 1,600 resolution LCD display, a Tensor G2 SoC, 8MP front and back cameras, and 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM with 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage. In the box, you also get the charging speaker dock and a power adapter.

The Pixel Tablet (8GB/128GB) will be available in Porcelain, Hazel, and Rose for $499 / £599 / €679 / CA $699. This places it about $20 higher than the recently released OnePlus Pad. It will arrive in the US, Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan, and the UK.

You’ll also be able to buy an extra Charging Speaker Dock for $129 / €149 / CA $179. While the Pixel Tablet kickstand case will set you back $79 / €99 / CA $109.

We have a Pixel Tablet hands-on if you want to see what to expect.

Other things

Outside of hardware launches, Google made other announcements. Here are a few notable things we heard:

• All AI, all the time: Artificial intelligence — specifically large language models, or LLMs — are all anyone is talking about right now. Google has officially tossed its hat in the ring with Google Bard, essentially the company’s answer to ChatGPT. The Mountain View firm dove deep into AI updates, including PaLM2, Google Photos, Search, Gmail, and even wallpapers.
• Popular Google products: Google always uses I/O to announce new tricks for its most popular products. And this year wasn’t any different. We had announcements for Google Maps, Bard, Google Home, Find My Device, RCS, and more.
• Everything else: Outside of the major announcements, there were a few smaller reveals. Those announcements included Samsung’s XR headset, the Pixel Tablet’s case, and the new Pixel Buds Series-A colorway.