Google I/O 2022: how to follow the conference live on Clubic?

Google I/O, Google’s annual developer conference, takes place this week and begins with an opening presentation this Wednesday, May 11 at 7:00 p.m. (Paris time). Like WWDC for Apple, Google I/O aims to help developers get the most out of Google’s tools and platforms. However, the opening conference is aimed at a much wider audience, with hardware and software announcements of products due for release soon. We invite you to follow the announcements live from the google official website or through our coverage liveon this article.

This year, the conference could be an opportunity for Google to announce new products. Rumors indeed evoke the giant’s first connected watch, the Pixel Watch, as well as a mid-range version of the Pixel 6 smartphones from last year. We could also discover a new pair of headphones true-wireless.

Software announcements, meanwhile, are expected to focus on Google’s core operating systems, such as Android 13, the next major version of the mobile OS slated for release later this year. Google pundits could also announce new features for other systems like Wear OS or Android TV. The company’s ever-expanding range of services should also receive some improvements.

A seasonal Pixel 6A

Over the past three years, Google has accompanied each of its Pixel smartphones with a more affordable version with a more modest technical sheet. This year, it is logically the turn of the Pixel 6 to have a little brother; however, rumors suggest that the formula of the “6A” could be different from that of its predecessors. Indeed, the Pixel 4A and 5A had similar photo lenses to their flagship counterparts and less powerful processors. This time a report of 9to5Google, in particular, suggests that the 6A would have the same Tensor processor as the Pixel 6, but a 12-megapixel photo module, downgraded from the 50-megapixel sensor of the reference model.

While an announcement at Google I/O seems a little premature compared to the usual August launches, a recent FCC filing suggests that the Pixel 6A will hit our shelves sooner than expected. See you tomorrow to find out more.

Wearables in shambles

Google smartwatch rumors have intensified this year. There have been specs leaks, design leaks, and even a US Patent and Trademark Office filing revealing the name of the Pixel Watch. But the most important thing is that a prototype of the famous watch was found (falsely) abandoned in a restaurant, revealing the tocante from every angle.

Separately, a recent leak from prolific leaker Jon Prosser has suggested that Google is gearing up to release new wireless headphones called “Pixel Buds Pro”. Not much is yet known about their potential features and specs, but the use of ‘Pro’ in the name usually hints at support for active noise canceling, which would be a first for Google headphones. Indeed, the Mountain View firm currently sells only one pair of true-wireless, the Pixel Buds A-Series, originally announced as a more affordable alternative to the second-generation Pixel Buds. A new entry in the line-up could therefore be relevant for the firm.

Android 13, the star

On the software side, Google will undoubtedly be the flagship on Android 13, the next major version of its mobile operating system. Already published in beta version, thus offering small glimpses of Google’s plans, it is during this I/O conference that we will be able to discover this Android 13 in more detail.

So far, it looks like Google will mostly continue some of the development started with Android 12. Last year’s customizable themes (Material You) are expected to expand to more elements in the UI, while Google continues to restrict the system data that Android apps have access to by default.

And the others ?

Of course, Android isn’t the only operating system supported by Google. Thus Wear OS, for connected watches, should be the subject of some attention, especially if Google actually presents its Pixel Watch this week. Unless the giant reconsiders the ins and outs of the merger of its platform with Tizen, from Samsung, the first effects of which we could see on the South Korean Galaxy Watch 4.

New features are also planned for Android TV and Google TV, as one of the group’s product managers said last January. Google could notably announce support for home sports… A future competitor to Apple Fitness + to come?

New features for Google Workspace and others

Hardware and platform announcements aside, a Google I/O overview wouldn’t be complete without the Alphabet giant announcing updates for its many online services and apps. Last year, it introduced a locked folder feature for Google Photos, updates to the augmented reality view of Google Maps and a new initiative for the various services of its office suite, which are increasingly interconnected with Smart Canvas.

Given the breadth of Google’s software offering, it’s difficult to make accurate predictions about annual announcements. However, we bet that Google Workspace will occupy a prominent place.