The Morning After: What to expect at Google I/O 2023

Google’s annual developer conference not only delivers on the software and web-based announcements but also on whatever hardware it’s been cooking up. In the past, that included smart speakers, phones, Chromebooks and everything else. For I/O 2023, we’re expecting lots of Pixel things. Rumors (and subsequent official teasers) point to Google’s first foldable smartphone, the Pixel Fold, as well as the latest midrange Pixel, the Pixel 7a.

The Pixel Fold will open like a book, similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold. Rumors suggest a 5.8-inch external screen and a foldable 7.6-inch 120Hz internal display. It has thicker bezels than the Z Fold, but it’s supposed to feature a durable, almost-gapless hinge and a battery that lasts 24 hours in normal use. It could cost up to $1,700.

At the other end of the “how much?!” spectrum, the Pixel 7a doesn’t appear too different from its predecessor; it might have a faster 90Hz display and a 64-megapixel main camera. Google reportedly plans to price the new phone at $499 – a little more than last year’s Pixel 6a, but still a fraction of the price of the Pixel Fold.

That’s not all. There is also the Pixel tablet, previewed at …read more