Google I/O 2023: Date, How to watch, Pixel 7a, Pixel Tablet, and Pixel Fold

Google I/O 2023 is just around the corner, and Google and Android fans all over the world will no doubt be interested in what’s on the itinerary of this year's event. In terms of hardware and software, Google’s annual developer’s conference is looking packed with enough goodies for everyone to enjoy.

Thanks to a leak involving the Google Pixel roadmap, we have a general idea of what to expect at this year's event. However, there’s still plenty of room for surprises along the way. Read on for our roundup of what to look out for at this year’s Google I/O and how you can tune in live to learn about what comes next from the minds of the Googleplex.

Google I/O 2023 date

This year’s Google I/O developer conference takes place on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Google I/O is a single-day event that will feature keynote addresses dealing with new products, technologies, and services.

Google I/O 2023 how to watch

Keynotes will be held in Mountain View, California in front of a limited audience, but available to livestream worldwide through both YouTube and the Google I/O website.

With Google having recently set out its agenda for the day, we've covered how to watch the event, and at what time the event will take place around the globe in our handy guide on how to watch Google I/O 2023.

Google I/O 2023 Pixel 7a

One of the more surefire announcements at this year’s event is the Pixel 7a. Google’s next addition to the Pixel A-series line-up is no doubt going to be one of the main takeaways from the event.

While every other product rumored to be on the agenda for Google I/O 2023 has been hemorrhaging information like crazy, the Pixel 7a appeared to have avoided the brunt of the leaks until very recently.

A recent report indicates that the Pixel 7a is set to launch following its unveiling at Google I/O 2023. The phone will be available in four colors: charcoal, snow, sea, and coral. The latter of which will be a Google Store exclusive option.

While Google will be aiming to position its new device among the best budget phones on the market, according to 9to5Google the Pixel 7a is set to be released at an increased price of $499 — up $50 from last year's Pixel 6a.

The Pixel 7a is rumored to feature a 90Hz display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080; 8GB of RAM; a Google Tensor G2 chipset as found in the Pixel 7-series of smartphones; a 64MP (main) and 13MP (ultrawide) camera array; wireless charging at 5W; and a new matte-finish aperture visor. Outside of this, visually at least, the Pixel 7a is likely to take many of its cues from the Pixel 7.

A recent tweet from the official Google India Twitter account has officially revealed that the next Pixel phone will launch on May 11, 2023. While the Pixel 7a wasn't directly named, the phone in the accompanying image matches the 7a and does line up with previous rumors.

Google I/O 2023 Pixel Tablet

Having been previewed at last year’s Google I/O, and showcased at 2022’s Made By Google event, the stage looks set for Google’s new tablet to enter into the Pixel family of products. The Pixel Tablet is Google’s first venture back into the market after 2018’s fairly lackluster Google Pixel Slate, a device whose reception sent Google back to the drawing board on how they want to approach the tablet market in the future.

Google’s new approach is to seemingly take what people love about their Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones and upscale it for modern tablet-loving audiences. Google themselves state that the tablet will contain “all your favorite Pixel phone features,” and while renders of the device show the design of the Pixel series 7 phones won’t carry over, similar hardware will.

Thanks to an accidental early listing by Amazon Japan, we can now confirm many of the Pixel Tablet's specs, its release date, and even a potential price point.

The Pixel Tablet will house a 10.95-inch LCD display alongside Google’s Tensor G2 SoC. Google's internals will be bolstered by 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and be available in 128GB or 256GB models. The tablet will also feature a front and back-facing 8MP camera, three noise-canceling microphones, four speakers, and a primary Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 1 connection port.

What else is known for sure is that the Google Pixel Tablet was designed with docking in mind. Google has developed a magnetic charging base that doubles as a Google Nest-like home speaker. The stand will be sold with the tablet and dock via a Pogo pin connection.

Not only could this be a great way for the tablet to double up as a smart home interface, but with Google Bard on the horizon, it could make for an interesting interaction point for an all-new Google AI assistant.

Google I/O 2023 Pixel series 8 (Pixel 8 & Pixel 8 Pro)

Google’s next round of flagship mobile devices isn’t expected to launch until the fall of 2023. However, that doesn’t mean we won’t get a glimpse of both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro at this year's event.

Similar to last year's proceedings, Google is likely to give us all a first look at its future range of smartphones after showcasing the Pixel 7a. Don’t expect too much information to drop at this point though — Google will likely stick to covering the basics.

At most, we’re likely to be introduced to the Pixel 8’s smaller profile and any changes to the Pixel’s core design, a quick word about Google’s Tensor G3 SoC, and how both smartphones will run on Android 14.

Google I/O 2023 Pixel Fold

While not much has been officially said in regard to the Google Pixel Fold, a lot of information has sprung up online with rumors on everything from camera specs to its purported price, release date, and design.

The roots of Google’s long-awaited foldable date back as far as 2019, and ever since there has been a constant stream of potential release dates that haven’t come to pass. However, following the recent Google Pixel roadmap leak, all signs point toward a 2023 release window — with more and more solid and viable information appearing online about the Pixel Fold regularly.

One of these leaks comes from developer Kuba Wojciechowski, who in July of 2022 appeared to uncover a trove of information relating to the Pixel Fold’s camera specs. Wojciechowski revealed that Google’s foldable smartphone would include a "Standard GN1 for the main sensor, IMX363, IMX386 (Pixel 6's ultrawide) - listed as "FOLDED" and IMX355 (Pixel 6's front)."

More recent leaks delved into the device’s core specifications, pointing to a 7.69-inch foldable screen, a 5.79-inch cover display, 12GB of RAM, and two models sporting 256GB and 512GB of internal memory. Which chipset and OS the fold makes use of is largely dependent on when it becomes available.

Currently, the Pixel Fold is expected to launch alongside the Pixel Tablet at some point in May 2023. If this proves accurate, then we would expect the Pixel Fold to launch with Google’s Tensor G2 SoC and to be running Android 13.

Google I/O 2023 Google Bard & AI

AI’s emergence into the mainstream with ChatGPT and Bing might not have caught Google off guard, but its rapid adoption and a groundswell of interest by people online definitely caused the Californian tech giants to make haste on their own project, Google Bard.

After officially unveiling the chat-based search engine at a live event in Paris, Google offered select Pixel users access to a beta version of the ChatGPT rival in March 2023. By the time Google I/O is upon us  we could see a wider test of this service with more Android users taking Bard for a spin.

While that doesn’t seem like an awful lot of time to work out many of the kinks in the software, Bing AI expanded its limited preview within a number of weeks to millions of users to a positive reception — and as far as we know it only tried to break apart one happy marriage along the way.

Not all of the AI focus will be on Bard, with Google having a number of AI-backed tools currently in the works. Expect everything from AI-assisted image creation and editing to integrated AI for Google Workspace in apps like Google Docs, Sheets, and Gmail.