Google I/O 2024: From Pixie AI assistant to Android 15, check out the top 5 expected announcements today

Google I/O 2024, the Android maker's biggest software event of the year, kicks off today in Mountain View, California. Apart from an in-person gathering at the Shoreline Amphitheatre, the company will also be livestreaming the event from 10:00 am Pacific Time or 10:30 pm Indian Time.

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Google is expected to unveil many major upgrades during the I/O 2024 event, including information about the release date of Android 15, new AI features, the latest versions of Wear OS, Android TV and Google TV, a new Pixie AI assistant and more.

Top 5 expected announcements at Google I/O 2024: 

1) Android 15 in focus: 

Every year, Google provides a glimpse of the next version of Android at the I/O event, and this year is expected to be no different. The tech giant has scheduled a session to discuss the key features of Android 15, and Google may also reveal a release date for its operating system at the same briefing.

Android 15 isn't expected to bring a major overhaul in terms of design, but it could instead include many upgrades that could help improve user privacy, productivity and security. Google's latest operating system will also include many new features, including satellite connectivity, audio sharing, notification cooldown, app archiving and partial screen sharing.

2) Pixie AI assistant: 

Google is also expected to unveil a new Pixel-exclusive virtual assistant powered by Gemini called 'Pixie'. The new assistant could get multimodal capabilities, meaning it could not be limited to text or voice input, but users could also be able to share images with Pixie.

A report last year had suggested that Pixie AI could be fitted with the ability to use information on a user's device, such as Maps or Gmail, in order to become a more personalised version of Google Assistant.

3) Gemini AI upgrades: 

AI was the highlight of Google's I/O event last year, and the competition has only increased for the company this year, with OpenAI unveiling its latest large language model, GPT-4 o, just a day before I/O 2024.

Google is expected to provide some of its key tools such as Maps, Chrome, Gmail and Google Workspace with some key upgrades with the help of Gemini AI. Furthermore, Google may finally be ready to replace Google Assistant on all Android devices with Gemini. The company is already offering Gemini AI app users the chance to replace the chatbot as the default assistant app on Android..

4) Hardware updates: 

While I/O isn't a particularly hardware-focused event, that hasn't stopped Google from using the platform to show off some of its latest gadgets. At I/O 2023, for example, the company unveiled the Google Pixel 7a and the first-ever Pixel Fold.

This time around, however, Google is unlikely to make any major hardware announcements as it has already launched the Pixel 8a smartphone, while the Pixel Fold series could be released alongside the Pixel 9 series later in the year.

5) Wear OS 5:

Google has finally decided to give its operating system for wearables a much-needed upgrade. However, the company has notoriously been tight-lipped about all the new features that will be coming to Wear OS 5.

A description of the Wear OS5 session states that the new operating system will include advances in the Watch Face format, along with how to build and design for an increasing range of devices.