Another Google I/O developer conference is upon us. As it has every year since the event started in 2008, Google will share its road map for its various software and AI platforms with the public.

If I/O 2025 was any indication, we expect updates on the progress of Android XR, the company’s AR and XR platform for smart glasses and headsets, as well as endless announcements about Gemini and the Veo video generator. Google should also have some news on the next version of its mobile OS, Android 17.

Since I/O is a developer-focused conference, it’s unlikely the company will announce major hardware. The Pixel 11 series is not expected until later in the summer. If anything, we’re more likely to see prototypes. Maybe we’ll catch Google and Xreal’s “Project Aura” AR glasses or a pair of Android XR glasses?

The Google I/O 2026 keynote kicks off on May 19 at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. Gizmodo will be live blogging the whole thing. Senior Editor of Consumer Tech Raymond Wong will cover the event live and check out demos afterward. Definitely bookmark this page if you want minute-by-minute updates on all the latest Google news.

9:57 amAndroid Is Now an “Intelligence System”

In case it wasn’t clear: Google is shoving AI into everything. On The Android Show, Google’s president of the Android ecosystem, Sameer Samat, said that Android is transforming from an operating system to an “intelligence system,” powered by Gemini. “This means deeply understanding your context, anticipating your needs, and getting things done on your behalf.”

To convey that intelligence, Android 17 is getting a minor facelift to “animate with purpose” when Gemini Intelligence is listening, thinking, and creating. The OS—sorry, intelligence system—will also have more agentic functionality, aka the ability to do tasks for you, like allegedly purchase concert tickets. It all looks and sounds convenient in demos, but whether users will embrace it or not is the big question.

The new Android Auto experience will also adapt to more screen sizes and shapes—like round and hexagonal displays. Navigation gets a revamp with 3D Google Maps that show buildings, overpasses, and terrain around your car. Lanes and stop signs are highlighted as well. Android Auto also has other new stuff like widgets (weather, contacts, and smart home controls) and the ability to watch YouTube videos in supported cars.

Oh, and Google redesigned Android’s emoji so that they have more detail.

It’s no Liquid Glass overhaul, but I’m genuinely excited to check out the new version of Android for Google’s various platforms. —Raymond Wong

9:18 amGoodbye Chromebooks and Hello Googlebooks?

Google Googlebook 1© Google

Ahead of I/O, Google announced a new generation of laptops called Googlebooks. No, Chromebooks aren’t going away, but these Googlebooks are the future—infused with lots of AI, of course.

There’s no official name yet, but Googlebooks will run on a “modern OS that’s designed for intelligence.” This operating system, codenamed “Aluminum OS,” combines Android and ChromeOS into one. Features like “Magic Pointer” will let you wiggle your mouse cursor to bring up AI tools to compare selected images or combine them together into one. Googlebooks will also work better with an Android phone, letting you mirror the device to its desktop or browse files on it.

Partners including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo will be releasing Googlebooks, with the first ones arriving this fall. Maybe we’ll hear more about the new Googlebooks OS at I/O. —Raymond Wong