Google I/O 2023: How to Watch, Pixel Fold Reveal, Pixel Tablet, and What to Expect

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This year’s Google I/O could prove pivotal for the search giant, especially with stiff AI competition from Microsoft and ChatGPT.

As Google gears up for this month’s I/O event, the company is still catching up with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. OpenAI overtook Google in releasing an AI-powered chatbot to market late last year, and Google has been trying to counter something that dramatic. Bard, Google’s answer to ChatGPT, turned out to be mediocre by comparison. Investors had a lot of questions about AI during Google’s recent earnings call. And Bing’s revamped AI search, which leans on ChatGPT, is giving Google some competition in the Internet search space, with Bing posting nearly 16% growth.

While it’s likely that Google will be spending a significant amount of time focusing on its own AI developments, it also looks like the company will be spending time on new products, including its first foldable phone and updates to the Pixel Tablet.

Here’s everything you should expect from Google I/O 2023.

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When is Google I/O 2023?

This year’s Google I/O will take place on May 10, with the keynote starting at 10am PT. For those interested in tuning into the live stream, you need to register on the Google I/O website.

Is Google I/O in person?

This year’s I/O will also be the first since 2019 with press attendance. CNET will be on the ground reporting on the latest developments. Unfortunately, it won’t be open to the public.

Expect a lot of artificial intelligence

Sundar Pichai talks about PaLM at Google I/O 2022

Screenshot/Google

Last year’s Google I/O put a heavy emphasis on the company’s AI developments. CEO Sundar Pichai talked about his models’ ability to summarize meetings and large amounts of text, as well as being able to understand jokes. However, none of these products have been made available to the public. And after a former Googler started saying that the company’s AI chatbot had become sentient, Google was understandably reluctant to give members of the public or the press a chance to talk to this AI chatbot.

But then came ChatGPT late last year. OpenAI was able to do what Google couldn’t: release an AI chatbot to the public for free. It’s not like it was out of Google’s ability to do that. Rather, Google felt it would be irresponsible to do so. This came after Google fired its AI ethics officers in late 2020 and early 2021, eventually reforming its AI teams after months of turmoil. It’s also worth noting that AI chatbots could threaten Google’s advertising-based search business model.

But these AI products have some problems to deal with. Chatbots like Bard or ChatGPT work by pulling from huge datasets of human-written text available online. The problem is that humans have certain biases and chatbots can sometimes lean on those biases. And since chatbots are more like autocorrect on steroids, the point isn’t getting the facts right, it’s getting the next generated word right. This can sometimes lead to “hallucinations,” situations where a chatbot confidently presents inaccurate responses. Earlier this year, Microsoft limited Bing chat to five replies to keep things from getting too bizarre, after the Bing AI chatbot told New York Times reporter Kevin Roose that he loved it and that he would have to leave his wife.

Given that Google tinkered with the Bard launch, which crashed the stock, and that Samsung is reportedly looking to switch to Bing on its phones (probably due to Bing’s integration with ChatGPT), Pichai and Co. need to use the their stage presence to impress.

The New York Times reported that Google is actively working on an AI-powered search engine, codenamed Magi. While we haven’t been able to independently verify this, it’s hard to say whether Google will reveal or hint at Magi. It may take longer to manage before receiving a full public presentation.

Either way, expect more new AI product announcements and all the ways Google believes its AI engines outperform the competition.

It’s time to unfold the Pixel Fold

The Google Pixel Fold in rendered form.

Front page technology

After years of rumors, Android fans will finally see a real foldable Pixel made by Google at this year’s I/O.

When it comes to hardware, Google is rarely shy about introducing its latest products early. During the unofficial Star Wars holiday on May 4, Google tweeted a short video online with the hashtag #PixelFold. The Made by Google Twitter account tweeted “May the Fold Be With You,” a pun on the classic Star Wars line, “May the Force be with you.”

The video shows a sleek and relatively thin foldable device floating in the air. When unfolded, it has a more squat design, a departure from the long narrow aesthetic of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. It appears to be closer to the Oppo Find N. This means that when closed, it will have a more traditional 18:9 smartphone. proportions, instead of the long candy bar shape of a closed Z Fold 4. And once opened, it will be more square than rectangular. The bezels on the internal display appear to be sturdier than Samsung’s foldable ones.

Rumors reported by Front Page Tech state that the Pixel Fold will only come in obsidian (black) or chalk (white). It will also reportedly be closer to the $1,800 range and release on June 27.

One rumor that we hope isn’t true is that the Pixel Fold will use a much older camera system, like the one found on the Pixel 5 from 2020, according to 9to5Google. Given that the current Pixel 7 Pro has an excellent, almost DSLR-level camera, a $1,000-plus phone in 2023 that uses a three-year-old camera would be a real disappointment.

Pixel 7A and Pixel Tablet

The Google Pixel Tablet on a shelf.

Screenshot/CNET

Google usually takes some time at I/O to unveil a cheaper version of last year’s premium Pixel device. Rumors point to a Pixel 7A reveal at I/O. It will reportedly cost $50 more than last year’s Pixel 6A at $499. Given that the standard Pixel 7 can be had for $599, the Series A could cut it a little too close in price if the rumor goes. turned out to be true.

At that point, it might be best to wait for a sale or price cut on the Pixel 7, or buy a used one in pristine condition.

Either way, expect incremental updates across the board for the Pixel 7A. Just like other A-series devices, it will likely sport the same Tensor chip found on its flagship counterparts, while also bringing improvements to the camera, screen, and build.

Google will probably publish more details about the Pixel Tablet as well. The company has already said it’s coming this year, and with its dock, which will be sold separately, potentially for $129 per a recent Amazon listing, it can double as a smart display as well. Since Google has ended software support for third-party smart displays, some may find it necessary to upgrade.

Preview of Android 14 and Pixel 8

Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

While the Android 14 beta is available right now for Pixel devices, expect Google to provide more details on the next version of its mobile operating system. Google has said it will bring greater compatibility with foldable devices and tablets in Android 14, according to a blog post from February. That’s good news since the Android experience on larger screens feels like an afterthought.

In addition to this, Google has already talked about satellite connectivity. Also expect the standard incremental improvements to speed, battery life, and ease of use.

Google probably won’t leave the presentation without giving fans a little taste of its next flagship smartphone, the Pixel 8, as it has done in previous years. Given that Pixel devices tend to leak online months before their launches, it seems Google found it better to tease this ahead of time rather than deal with the pre-release hit the mole leak.

For more, check out our list of Google products we’re expecting this year and how the Pixel Fold can save foldable phones.

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