Google’s I/O 2024 event is today, May 14, with the keynote kicking off at 10am PST (1pm ET / 6pm BST) at Google’s HQ at Mountain View, California. The search giant is expected to reveal a range of exciting new products, in particular Google Gemini, its AI chatbot.
We’re also expecting to hear about the new Android 15 operating system for tablets and smartphones, and could see updates to ChromeOS and Chromebooks as well. And, after the recent launch of the affordable Pixel 8a, Google is also poised to release new Pixel 9 handsets – at least three of them, if a new leak is accurate.
It certainly seems that Google has a lot to show at I/O, and we’ll be watching along. As well as our expert team of phones, tablets, AI and computing, who’ll be watching the live stream, we are also at the actual event as well, so make sure you keep this live blog open for all the breaking news, reviews and analysis.
Hello! Welcome to our Google I/O liveblog! I’ll be running this live blog as the hype builds for what Google is going to show today.
As I mention above, we’ll have Phil Berne, our US Phones Editor, on the ground at the event in California (lucky him), while myself and a lot of the TechRadar team will be following along online from the much less sunny climes of New York and London.
If you want to watch along with the live stream, which starts at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST (or May 15 at 3am AEST), then check out our guide on how to watch Google I/O 2024.
So, what’s everyone looking forward to at this year’s I/O event? There is a huge amount of excitement about artificial intelligence, and it seems like Google is going to be doubling down with its AI chatbot Gemini.
We’ll likely hear more about what Gemini can do, as well as how it integrates into Google’s major products, such as the Chrome browser and Pixel smartphones.
Personally, while AI has huge potential, I’ve not really found any of the big AI releases to have fundamentally changed my day-to-day life. So, I’ll be interested to see if Google can change that.
Otherwise, as an owner of an Android smartphone, I’ll be really keen to see what Google has in store with Android 15, which is likely to appear.
Could we see some new Pixel smartphones as well? There’s certainly convincing rumors that the Pixel 9 series will be launched today.
I’ll be interested in seeing what Google does here. I’ve had Pixel phones since the original, and my last handset was the Pixel Pro 7. So, I like Pixels a lot, especially how they come with relatively bloat-free versions of Android.
However, my Pixel Pro 7 sadly got run over (a long story that I don’t fully remember), so I have a new phone – the Samsung Galaxy 24 Ultra. If Google releases a Pixel 9 that surpasses that, I might be a bit upset.
I’d also love to see some cool new Chromebooks. Maybe a showcase on how Chromebook Plus devices can stand out amongst the best Chromebooks on the market.
Chromebook Plus devices are more powerful variants of the humble Chromebook, and offer better specs, screens and build quality, all while keeping prices relatively cheap.
However, for people looking for the best cheap laptops, or laptops for students, for example, a standard Chromebook remains your best option. But, could Google I/O change that?
One thing that I would absolutely love to see at Google I/O is a follow-up to one of my favorite laptops of all time: the Pixelbook Go.
The Pixelbook Go was a brilliant Chromebook with superb performance, a lovely screen, long battery life and one of the best keyboards ever included in a laptop.
It was a joy to use, and for a few years it was my go-to laptop for when I needed to work away from my desk.
Sadly, Google has never released a followup to the Pixelbook Go. It seems to have abandoned making its own Chromebooks, which is a real shame. The Pixelbook lineup showed how Chromebooks could be more than just budget laptops with a limited operating system.
Pixelbooks were premium and powerful Chromebooks that could go toe-to-toe with much more expensive premium laptops from the likes of Dell and Apple.
Sounds familiar? Yep, they were essentially Chromebook Plus devices before Chromebook Plus was a thing.
So, today’s Google I/O keynote could be the perfect time to resurrect the Pixelbook. Sadly, I don’t think this will happen – when I’ve spoken to Google in the past it showed little interest in a follow-up to the Pixelbook Go.
But, if Google was to launch a surprise Pixelbook, it would make me very happy indeed.
I’m also a fan of the Pixel Watch. It’s one of the few Wear OS-powered smartwatches that offers excellent features, good performance and an attractive design.
I skipped the Pixel Watch 2 as my OG model still runs fine. However, if there’s a Pixel Watch 3 launch alongside the Pixel 9 family, I’d be very interested to see if this time the generational leap is much larger.
However, most rumors suggest a Pixel Watch 3 launch will be later on this month. Still, I’d like Google to show off some Wear OS improvements that can make my beloved original Pixel Watch even better.
While Google will likely launch the Pixel 9 series in October, as it has previous generations, a new leak today apparently shows off three models.
The leak suggests that the Google Pixel 9 has a 6.24-inch screen, the Pixel 9 Pro has a 6.34-inch display, and the Pixel 9 Pro XL has a 6.73-inch screen.
The timing of this leak is particularly unfortunate as it’s on the day of I/O 2024, and potential images of Google’s upcoming flagship phones could overshadow the event.
I certainly got a bit excited and thought this could mean we may get to see new Pixel smartphones today, but on reflection, I think Google will likely hold a dedicated Pixel launch event later this year.
The company will also likely not mention the leaks, though who knows? Maybe the leak, if accurate, forces Google to show a quick preview of the phones early.
Hi. It’s Roland Moore-Colyer, Managing Editor of Mobile Computing, taking over the live blog for a bit while Matt Hanson goes to shoot some iPad Air and iPad Pro videos.
So speaking of tablets, I’d love to see Google give the fondle-slate version of Android some love. As it stands, Android isn’t really up to par when it comes to offering a large-screend experience so I feel Google has some work to do there.
I doubt we’ll hear too much on the tablet front from Google as there’s been very little in the way of murrurings about any tablet-centric features coming to Android 15.
Then again with devices like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, I get the feeling Google is content to let other devices makers coax Android onto tablets rather than put too much of the legwork in itself.
On the subject of Android 15, I expect we’ll get a much deeper look at what to expect from the mobile operating system. AI will surely play a part, but I’d rather Google intergrated better AI tools into the backend of Android rather than focusing on generative AI stuff.
What do I mean by that? Well I want to be able to ask my phone where I was on a particular drunken night out and have it serve up where I may have wandered off too.
Or just use a combination of natural language processing and learning how I’ve been using my phone to serve up better answers to various queries. I want an autocorrect that actually gets me, rather than play ‘guess what the clumsy typer is trying to write’.
As Matt mentioned earlier, there’s scope for Google to tease the Pixel 9 series, as the search giant has got into the habit of teasing its upcoming phones. But from Android 15 we could get an idea of what to expect from the ninth-generation Pixel phones.
Oh and look who’s popped up! It’s our very own Philip Berne at Google I/O.
Hello! It’s Matt, taking the live blog back after a short break! We are just over an hour out from the Google I/O keynote!
Our US phones editor is on the ground! Here’s some pictures he’s sent us, using a Pixel 8a.
So, I said that here in London it wouldn’t be as sunny as in California… but going from Phil’s photos it actually doesn’t look much different to what we’re currently seeing in the UK.
People are taking their seats! We are now around an hour from the event starting. Exciting!
While we wait, Google has created a new version of its popular Dino game, which you can play using the QR code below.
This new version uses generative AI – which could give us a hint at what Google will be showing off.
Right, almost 30 minutes until the show. If you want a recap of what we expect, head to our Google I/O 2024 hub for everything you need to know before the show itself.
Fun fact: Google’s livestream is playing waiting music that’s “created using image-to-music generation by our AI models”
Another clue? Using AI-generated art is a very controversial topic right now (and Apple managed to upset quite a few artists with its latest iPad Pro advert).
