Google I/O 2026 starts on May 19, and while we already have a pretty good idea of what to expect, there’s plenty of room for surprises. The tech giant has been all-in on AI for the past few years, and that probably won’t change, but there could be a few hardware announcements on tap this year.
From Android XR glasses to hearing more about Aluminum OS, there’s a lot to look forward to. Below, we’ll fill you in on what we expect Google to talk about during the I/O keynote.
More AI features
We expect Google to announce several new artificial intelligence features that integrate further into its products. Now that agentic AI is all the rage, we’ll most likely see Google lean even further in this direction. This type of AI can perform tasks on your behalf, like controlling your computer, with minimal oversight. We’ll have to wait and see what and how many AI features Google announces this time.
Let’s also not exclude updates to existing or new products that Google could announce. Veo, Lyria, Beam and countless others could get some spotlight at this year’s conference.
Veo and Lyria are Google’s AI-generated video and music tools, respectively, and have continued to improve since they were originally announced. Beam is an ambitious and futuristic way of video conferencing that uses several cameras to make you appear as though you’re speaking directly to the person in front of you as a 3D model.
Gemini 4.0
The next generation Gemini is likely going to be announced at Google I/O 2026
Among all the AI announcements, we’re expecting Google to spend a significant amount 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 version of Gemini will likely be one of the biggest announcements of Google I/O 2026.
Exactly what Google has been working on with Gemini is anyone’s guess. It’s easy enough to assume that the latest model will be smarter and faster than previous models, but Gemini itself is in nearly every Google product these days, so how the latest and greatest AI from Google trickles down will be interesting to see.
Google recently released a new notebooks feature for Gemini that will let you store sources for a particular topic in one place for easy access. Notebooks are self-contained databases full of sources on a particular topic that you can continue to add to. Gemini will use a notebook for context, so you don’t have to start all over again with information sources.
Those notebooks also sync directly with Google’s AI research assistant NotebookLM, allowing you to create a host of different outputs, like video overviews, charts and more. One of the main differentiators between NotebookLM and Gemini is that NotebookLM will only use your notebook as the source of truth, whereas Gemini will scour the internet with the notebook’s context for the search.
Gemini can also now create dynamic and interactive simulations directly in your chats when you ask it to “show you” or “visualize” something.
Google hasn’t slowed its rollout of Gemini features, so a lot more are likely on their way with the latest version of the AI model.
Android XR Glasses
Android XR will most certainly steal some of the spotlight during this year’s I/O conference.
Google showed off its Android XR glasses at last year’s I/O, along with a few partnerships it formed to create them, so we’ll likely see the smart glasses become more of a product than a concept this year.
Smart glasses are gaining popularity, and Google took awhile getting back into the space after its first swing in the sector. Google Glass was way ahead of its time, but from the demos we’ve seen of Android XR, that patience may have paid off.
Google’s first set of “smart glasses” back in 2013 was an obvious pair of spectacles with a protruding lens that the wearer could view information on, and even take photos and record video. The product was met with immediate and significant pushback as an invasion of privacy, as well as being elitist and rude. This eventually resulted in the term for the wearers as “Glassholes.”
A lot has changed since the introduction of Google Glass, and Android XR glasses won’t look nearly as obvious when released, which could make it even creepier, but at least they’ll come with a load of usable features like heads-up notifications, live translation and Gemini Live. They’re also launching into an established market now, with smart glasses competitors 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 to purchase. This first piece of hardware running on the platform paves the way for more hardware, with smart glasses being a natural next step.
Google I/O could bring us more demos, final hardware details and a release date for when you’ll be able to get Android XR glasses in your hands. Given that there are multiple partners in the ring, the price ranges could vary, potentially offering both entry-level and high-end offerings.
Android 17
Android is Google’s playground for showcasing the best of its AI features, though some of them may be exclusive to the new Pixel phones we expect to see later this year.
Google released the first beta version of Android 17, its phone-operating system, back in February, and three additional betas have been released since, with the latest in mid-April. We can expect the latest version of the OS to be released in its final form sometime in June or July, shortly before we expect the next family of Pixel devices to be announced. For the past few years, the new Pixel lineup has been announced in August during the Made by Google event.
So far, there are no blockbuster features in the Android 17 beta, but Google has introduced interesting tweaks throughout. One of the most interesting features so far is app bubbles, which allows you to quickly access any app in a floating window and dismiss it to a bubble on your screen.
Last year, Google separated its Android announcements into a separate show a week before its I/O conference: The Android Show. This allowed Google to spend more time talking about AI without sacrificing the announcements it had on tap for Android. Whether The Android Show will return this year remains to be seen — though reportedly, a YouTube placeholder for the event was accidentally set live last week before being taken down.
Aluminum OS
One of the most interesting projects Google has been cooking up is a new operating system that merges Android and ChromeOS. Dubbed Aluminum OS, the product will bring Android to laptops and other devices with the full Chrome web browsing experience.
When exactly we’ll see hardware for the new OS is still unknown, but Google could surprise us with partnership announcements or even a full product announcement at I/O this year. The return of a Google-made Pixelbook doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility, either.
Merging both of Google’s operating systems will likely bring a more seamless software experience between how AluminumOS computers and Android phones interact.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
