Google IO 2024 is fast approaching, with the big G’s festival for Android 15, Wear OS 5, Android TV and more kicking off on May 14. And we now have an official schedule to give us some hints about the software (and perhaps hardware) announcements in the pipeline.
The Google IO 2024 schedule (spotted by @MishaalRahman on Xformerly Twitter) doesn’t reveal any specifics, of course, but it does confirm where we’ll see some major new software upgrades.
The keynote, which is definitely worth tuning in for, kicks off on May 14 at 10am PT / 5pm GMT (which in Australia equates to 3am AEST). But the details of the follow-up sessions give us a taste of what we’ll show, including our first real look at Wear OS 5.
This is confirmed in the Session ‘Building the future of Wear OS’, which allows developers to “explore the new features of Wear OS 5.” Considering the smartwatch platform seemed to be flirting with the Google Graveyard not too long ago, that’s good news. We’ll likely hear more about a release date at the event, and perhaps even a Pixel Watch 3.
What else does the diagram reveal? Android 15 was always a hit for this year’s show, so it’s no surprise that the operating system will be featured along with “generative AI, form factors” and more at Google IO 2024.
Thirdly, AI will obviously be a big overall theme, with Google Gemini being a common thread throughout the event. Developers will discover “new ways to build immersive 3D maps” and how to create “next-gen AI apps with Gemini models.” Gemini will also power new apps for Google Chat and create new content from images and video, thanks to Google’s multimodal Gemini Pro Vision model.
Fans of Android Auto will also be happy to hear that it will likely get some upgrades as well, with a developer session titled “Android for Cars: New In-Car Experiences.” Likewise, Google TV and Android TV OS will get at least a mention, with one session promising to show off “new user experience improvements in Google TV and the latest additions to the next Android TV OS platform.”
Finally, ChromeOS is getting some upgrades a session that is promising “new” features and some new “world-class experiences” for Chromebooks. Surprisingly, even Google Pay gets a mention in the schedule, even though it will be officially retired in favor of Google Wallet a few weeks after Google IO 2024 on June 4. Who knows, we might even be treated to a tour of the Google Graveyard, including its newest resident, Google Podcasts.
Will there be hardware at Google IO 2024?
Since Google IO 2024 is a developer conference, the sessions will all be themed around software – but we’ll almost certainly see plenty of new hardware treats announced during the keynote as well.
On the phone front, the Google Pixel 8a has now almost completely leaked, hinting at an upcoming announcement for the mid-range. Similarly, we’ve also seen leaked photos of the Google Pixel 9, alongside rumors of a Pixel 9 Pro (both of which could offer iPhone-style satellite connectivity).
This week, rumors of a refreshed Pixel Tablet (instead of a Pixel Tablet 2) suggested it could also make its bow at Google’s conference. A Google Pixel Fold 2 is also on the cards, although we’ve also heard rumors of a Pixel 9 Pro Fold instead.
As always, we can also expect some surprises, like when Google teased its live translation glasses at Google IO 2022, which then unfortunately disappeared in a cloud of vaporware. Let’s hope the new ideas for this year’s conference stick around a little longer.