Google I/O 2019, the yearly developer-centric peak for everything Android and Google, is only a few days away. The event will start on May 7th at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California. As usual, the main stars of the show will be the latest software developments of Google, but this year around, there will be some exciting hardware announcements on the way as well.
Android 10 Q
Google released the first beta of Android Q back in March, and it’s virtually guaranteed that you’ll learn more about its final feature set at Google’s developer meetup.
There will be tighter privacy controls for apps, sharing shortcuts to send the content directly to contacts, and settings panels that can pop up when an app needs them. More recently, Google revamped navigation gestures and introduced chat bubbles that keep conversations going while you’re using other apps. Q will also include official support for foldable phones.
Another rather cool quality-of-life feature coming in Q is a streamlined widget library that lets you easily see what widgets a specific app has. Another useful addition is accessing important phone features within the app and access “Sharing shortcuts” for the most frequented destinations.
The under-the-surface code in Android Q has alluded to a possible dark theme and even a desktop mode for those who want to use their phones as makeshift PCs without turning to manufacturer-specific options like Samsung’s DeX. It might also support secure face detection through depth sensors and other components, similar to Apple’s Face ID. We wouldn’t make sure that these features announce at I/O (Google sometimes postpones or shelves features mentioned in the codes), but they’ve at least been under consideration during Q’s development cycle.
Privacy and location will be at the center point of Android 10 Q, as Google is further enhancing these with more powerful tools to monitor apps’ activity.
Nest Hub Max
Another compelling candidate seems to be Google’s second-ever smart screen, the already-teased Nest Hub Max. It is going to have 10-inch display versus the Home Hub’s 7-inch screen, but it would not only be a supersized Google Assistant device. It’ll also incorporate a Nest camera using motion and sound alerts, functioning both as a safety monitor in addition to a portal site for Duo movie calls. Stereo speakers, nevertheless, could add some clarity to music and the occasional YouTube video.
There is very little doubt that the Nest Home Max is arriving soon after Google itself referred to it online. However, you might not want to count on Google declaring it at I/O. Google has not been teasing a new Nest device launch like it has the Pixel line. You can safely suppose it will cost considerably more than the $150 Home Hub.
Google Pixel 3a & 3a XL
Google hasn’t attempted to conceal that it’s introducing new phones at the event, namely the mid-sized Pixel 3a and the larger Pixel 3a XL. There has been a noticeable teaser for “something big” coming to the Pixel world on May 7th, and the handsets cited by title on the Google store. It’d be more of a surprise when they didn’t get unveiled at I/O.
From a pure hardware perspective, the Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL are going to be midsize phones with powerful enough chipsets that would not just maintain the performance area of their Pixel 3 and 3 XL, but the cost will probably reflect their strength. Camera-wise, the 3a, and 3a XL are anticipated to be like the Pixel 3 and 3 XL. This is a piece of excellent news for the enthusiast photographers out there. Google’s Pixels are traditionally one of the best-performing phones in terms of camera quality, therefore having the same package in a less expensive phone would surely be a fascinating combo.
As far as pricing and availability are involved, nothing’s official until it is, but we’ve heard the Pixel 3a could sell for $399, whereas the slightly larger 3A XL would probably command a $479 cost tag.