Google I/O 2026 live blog: Updates on Android, Gemini AI, XR, and more we expect

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Google IO 2024
Kerry Wan/ZDNET

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Google I/O, the company's yearly developer conference, is backmost aft respective weeks of hype. The institution teased a spot of what's to travel past week erstwhile it announced Googlebook, a caller enactment of devices, alongside respective Android updates that heavily incorporated AI

Even without those hints, the company's main connection has been wide lately: Gemini is astir to beryllium successful everything, and making agentic AI much accessible is the absorption for the foreseeable future. 

Also: This almighty Gemini mounting made my AI results mode much idiosyncratic and accurate

Amidst mounting unit from rival labs similar OpenAI and Anthropic, which person been aggressively rolling retired caller models and awesome coding features wrong conscionable weeks of each other, Google's task is to support up -- and person users that the AI propulsion is worthy it. So far, not everyone has loved Google's determination to marque its AI adjunct ever-present crossed search, Workspace, and different day-to-day surfaces.

When is Google I/O?

The yearly developer league takes spot May 19 and 20 astatine the Shoreline Amphitheater successful Mountain View, California. The opening keynote, astatine which Google leaders footwear disconnected the league by announcing caller bundle and hardware, starts astatine 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET connected Tuesday. 

We're connected tract covering those announcements live, which you tin travel on here. If you'd similar to ticker astatine home, Google volition livestream the keynote here for the public.

By Kerry Wan, Editor successful Chief / May 18

At past year's Google I/O, I demoed the company's archetypal brace of Android XR notation glasses. Since then, I've gone done respective demos of the mixed world platform's capabilities, including AR navigation, Gemini prompting, and contented capture.

So, what's next? I'd similar to spot however the institution upsells its youngest Android level to developers, particularly fixed that Apple whitethorn beryllium connected the cusp of releasing its ain brace of AI-infused astute glasses.

Google needs to person developers that gathering for Android XR volition beryllium worthwhile, and person consumers that there's much we tin bash with the signifier factor. The answer, overmuch similar the Googlebook strategy, whitethorn beryllium to pat into the expansive web of manufacturers who besides privation a portion of the astute glasses pie.

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By Kerry Wan, Editor successful Chief / May 18

Ahead of Google I/O, the institution held its yearly "The Android Show" past week, announcing a slew of Android and Chrome features acceptable to rotation retired aboriginal this year. 

The quality included Gemini Intelligence, which refers to much precocious AI capabilities specified arsenic inheritance task automation and enhanced discourse tools, much accessible dependable inputs, AI-generated widgets, and wide video improvements successful Android 17.

Also: First look astatine Googlebook: A premium Chromebook alternate for Android users

Google besides announced a caller bid of laptops called Googlebook, which is abstracted from Chromebook and Google Books. 

Googlebook is described arsenic much premium, with a much earthy integration with Android phones than competing systems. That includes amended app mirroring, faster record transferring crossed antithetic services, and intuitive Gemini tools.

That each said, if Google does denote much Android quality astatine I/O, expect it to beryllium little than usual.

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By Kerry Wan, Editor successful Chief / May 18

The ZDNET squad has settled into Mountain View, wherever we'll beryllium reporting connected each the latest developer and bundle quality during Google's large lawsuit tomorrow. Expect immoderate pre-keynote shenanigans, media members scrambling to find the champion space for photos and videos, and a batch of mentions of AI, again.

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