Google I/O 2026 will take place tomorrow, May 19, when the tech giant will share its latest advances in artificial intelligenceproducts and, hopefully, equipment.
Last week, Google unveiled the latest version of Androidand announced a new laptop platform, Google Bookswhich uses a new operating system which is a merged version of Android and ChromeOS.
Google’s mission to integrate AI into all of its products will undoubtedly continue, and we’ll likely get details on Google’s latest news. Geminimore Agentic AI efforts, Android XR Glasses and more. We’ve seen some of the fruits of the tech giant’s latest efforts over the Show Androidwith Google showing an “intelligence system” that performs tasks on your behalf.
Watch this: Android Show I/O Edition Highlights: Googlebooks, Android Auto and more
How to watch Google I/O
The Google I/O keynote will be streamed live via YouTube on Tuesday, May 19 at 10 a.m. PT.
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and his executive teams will take the stage and unveil many AI advancements and product updates for developers, but there has always been some wiggle room for consumer-focused announcements.
You can watch the stream below when it goes live.
Android 17
Android 17 is now smarter and more capable than ever, thanks to Gemini Intelligence.
Google/Screenshot by CNETAndroid is Google’s playground for showcasing the best of its AI features, although some might be exclusive to the new Pixel phones we’re expecting later this year. Google detailed all the features of the next version of the operating system during the Android Show, and the latest and greatest have not yet made it into the existing beta versions available today.
Google released the first beta version of Android 17its phone operating system, in February, and three additional beta versions have been released since then, the last being in mid-April. We can expect the latest version of the operating system to be released in its final form in June or July, shortly before the next Pixel family of devices is announced. In recent years, new Pixel lineups have been announced in August during the Event carried out by Google.
There are no blockbuster features in the Android 17 beta so far, but Google has introduced some interesting tweaks throughout. One of the coolest features so far is App Bubbles, which let you quickly open any app in a floating window and dismiss it into a bubble on your screen.
While we know most of what’s new in the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system, there’s a good chance we’ll hear more during the I/O keynote.
More AI Features
We expect Google to announce several new AI features that become more integrated into its products. Now that agentic AI is all the rage, we will most likely see Google move even further in this direction. This type of AI can carry out tasks on your behalflike controlling your computer, with minimal supervision. We’ll have to wait and see what AI features Google announces this time around and how many.
Let’s also not rule out updates to existing or new products that Google might announce. Veo, LyrieBeam and countless others could be highlighted at this year’s conference.
Veo and Lyria are Google’s AI-generated video and music tools, respectively, and have continued to improve since their initial announcement. Beam is an ambitious and futuristic method of video conferencing that uses multiple cameras to make you feel like you’re talking directly to the person in front of you in the form of a 3D model.
Gemini 4.0
The next generation of Gemini will likely be announced at Google I/O 2026.
Thomas Fuller/Getty ImagesAmong all the AI announcements, we expect Google to spend a lot of time talking about its flagship AI model for Gemini. Whether it gets a solid 4.0 status or something like a 3.8, we know the new Gemini release will likely be one of the biggest announcements at Google I/O 2026.
Exactly what Google has been working on with Gemini is anyone’s guess. It’s pretty easy to assume that the latest model will be smarter and faster than previous models, but Gemini itself is present in almost every Google product these days, so it will be interesting to see how Google’s latest and greatest AI plays out.
Google recently released a new Notepad feature for Gemini that will allow you to store sources for a particular topic in one place for easy access. Notebooks are self-contained databases filled with sources on a particular topic that you can continue to add to. Gemini will use a notebook for context, so you won’t have to start all over again with sources of information.
These laptops also sync directly with Google’s AI search assistant CarnetLMallowing you to create a multitude of different outputs, such as video previews, graphics and much more. One of the key differentiators between NotebookLM and Gemini is that NotebookLM will only use your notebook as a source of truth, while Gemini will scour the internet with the notebook’s context for research.
Gemini can now also create dynamic and interactive simulations directly in your chats when you ask it to “show” or “visualize” something.
Google hasn’t slowed down the rollout of Gemini features, so it’s likely that many more are on the way with the latest version of the AI model.
Android XR Glasses
Android XR will most certainly steal some of the spotlight at this year’s I/O conference.
Andrew Lanxon/CNETGoogle showed its Android XR glasses at last year’s I/O, as well as a few partnerships formed to create them, so we’ll likely see smart glasses become more of a product than a concept this year.
Smart Glasses are gaining popularity and Google has been slow to return to the market after its first move into the sector. Google Glasses was way ahead of its time, but based on the Android XR demos we’ve seen, that patience may have paid off.
Google’s first pair of “smart glasses” in 2013 was an obvious pair of glasses with a protruding lens on which the wearer could view information, and even take photos and record videos. The product was met with immediate and significant backlash as an invasion of privacy, in addition to being elitist and crude. The porters were called “Glassholes”.
Watch this: Google Android XR Smart Glasses
A lot has changed since the introduction of Google Glass, and Android XR Glasses will not appear as obvious once published, which could make them even scarierbut at least they will come with lots of useful features like heads-up notifications, live translation and Gemini Live. They’re also now launching into an established market, with smart glasses competitors coming from Meta’s collaborations with Ray-Ban, Oakley and more. Samsung’s own Galaxy XR headset runs on the Android XR platform and is already available for purchase. This first hardware running on the platform paves the way for more hardware, with smart glasses being a natural next step.
If Google didn’t go into detail about its smart glasses during the Android Show, Google I/O could bring us more demosthe latest hardware details, and a release date for when you’ll be able to get the Android XR glasses in your hands. Since there are multiple partners in the ring, price ranges can vary, potentially offering entry-level and high-end offerings.
AluminumOS: Google Books
While Google has officially introduced the Google Bookthere’s still a lot we don’t know about the underlying operating system that has been talked about for a while now. The new operating system merges Android and ChromeOS and appears to be the future that Google sees in personal computing.
Watch this: Googlebooks: the ultimate laptop for Android users?
The merger of Google’s two operating systems will likely bring a more seamless software experience between the way AluminumOS computers and Android Phones interact.
At the Android show, Google showed that you can natively run all of your phone’s Android apps directly on a Googlebook, without touching your phone at all. He also detailed a new Magic pointer feature that’s both AI-powered and context-aware of the content you’re viewing, allowing you to perform cool tricks like editing photos with a single prompt.
