The missing pieces of the Google I/O '23 puzzle: Where were Android 14 and the Pixel 8 teaser?
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
For all developers and enthusiasts on the ground, Google I/O '23 is merely starting, but the official keynote is already over and it marked an intriguing change of heart for Google. It's pretty safe to say that a paradigm shift just happened, one that will certainly echo for years to come. Is the new blueprint for the software-centric keynote of the future?
For yet another Google I/O, Android wasn't the main talking point. In fact, if we have to rate the spotlight time Android 14 got at I/O'23, it probably wouldn't rank in the Top 10. Sure, there will be lots of workshops and events at the Google I/O summit that will discuss all the new features, under-the-hood improvements, and API changes that will be coming to a Pixel near you this August, but the important opening keynote certainly skimped on all those important Android 14 details.
AI is here to stay
If you haven't watched the Google I/O 2023 keynote, let me summarize it for you in a few words: AI, AI, AI, and some Pixel news near the end. Did I mention AI?
But really, the theme of the keynote was AI and Google's full adoption of artificial intelligence across nearly all of its hardware and software products, as well as all the ways in which Bard and PaLM 2 will empower our digital lives in the coming years.
For reference, last year's Google I/O keynote dedicated more than half an hour on Android 13's upcoming features. This year? Less than 15 minutes on Android as a whole, with merely half of that time dedicated to features coming to Android devices, but nothing specific and truly unique related to Android 14.
Even when Android was mentioned, it was mostly in the context of AI and how it will benefit the software on your Pixel phone in the coming months. With AI-powered personalization and customization features that look like great additions to Android in general, on-device AI is becoming an integral part of our devices. True, Android 14 has been out as a beta for a few months already, but there have to be more features coming to it aside from the ones available, right? Right?
Android and iOS, two of the most popular operating systems in the world, have both matured to the point where we probably shouldn't expect major new features every year, or every other year. Gradual improvements and general polish of the user experience will probably become the norm rather than the exception.
To me, it feels that moving forward, the intricate novelties of an operating systems wouldn't be the major talking point during software-centric events like Google I/O or Apple WWDC. Instead, AI tools could become the major talking point when it comes to software, and that's definitely something larger than the sum of its parts.
Remains to be seen if Apple's upcoming WWDC keynote will similarly put the focus on AI, or Cupertino has prepared a lengthy feature list for iOS 17.
Pixel 8, where art thou?
What about the Pixel 8 series, or the lack of it at the recent Google I/O? During previous Google keynotes, we've grown accustomed to seeing teasers showing us the company's upcoming fall flagships way ahead of time, be it a mention or a render. However, despite pretty much everyone's expectation that we'll get at least a mention of the Pixel 8 series, Google kept mum on its certainly upcoming flagship phones.
Sure, the focus of the hardware portion of the keynote was fully dedicated to the Pixel Fold, which is a monumental product release for Google and is finally bringing some competition to Samsung on the US market, which is pretty lackluster when it comes to foldables.
Probably Google felt that the announcement of three devices was more than enough, so it left the Pixel 8 teaser for yet another time, possibly alongside the official Android 14 release? But we don't expect a dedicated keynote for that one, so things no longer make sense?
Are we even sure that a Pixel 8 is coming? If previous Pixel releases are anything to go by, we should start seeing some pretty solid leaks in the coming months, and possibly even a unit or two up for sale on eBay before Google officially announces its flagships, but yes, there's no reason to believe that the Pixel 8 won't come later this year.
In any way, Google I/O'23 felt different from previous Google keynotes and could definitely be the blueprint for many similar ones to come in the future. Not that I'm complaining, the sudden onslaught of AI is exciting (though a bit scary at times), but we should probably adjusts our expectations about the future of software events accordingly.
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