How to watch live and what we expect from Google I/O 2022

Google's annual developer conference, Google I/O, is scheduled for this week, kicking off with a keynote presentation on Wednesday, May 11 at 1 p.m. ET/ 10 a.m. PT. Although the conference aims at helping developers get the most out of Google's tools and platforms, the keynote is relevant to a much broader audience, with hardware and software announcements for products launching in the next 12 months.

This year, we were able to see a number of hardware announcements during the keynote. There are ongoing rumours of the search giant's first wearable device, the Pixel Watch, as well as a mid-range counterpart to last year's Pixel 6 smartphones. We may also see a new pair of true wireless earphones announced. And maybe even some surprises, too.

A smartwatch, a smartphone and a lot of Android

The software announcements are likely to focus on Google's major operating systems, such as Android 13, the next major version to be released later this year. Google presenters could also announce new features for other platforms like Wear OS or Android TV. The company's growing range of services (think Google Maps or workplace tools like Google Docs) are also likely to get some improvements.

You can register here to watch the Google I/O 2022 Live

The Google I/O 2022 keynote will also be streamed live on YouTube beginning May 11 at 10 a.m. PT. m. PT/1p. m. ET Anyone can tune in. But to gain access to the additional virtual sessions and the subsequent developer-focused keynote taking place through May 12, you'll need to register for the event.

Here's a list of things that we're looking forward to:

Watch out for Pixel Watch

For the most part, we expect to see iterations of existing products at Google I/O 2022. However, there's every reason to believe we'll see at least one all-new device this year: the Pixel Watch. As is tradition, everyone is hoping that Google will eventually make a cheaper, slightly downgraded version of last year's fantastic Pixel 6 called the Pixel 6a. It's not usually an I/O announcement, but prolific leaker Jon Prosser claims we'll see the Pixel 6a at I/O this year.

As for what form the Pixel 6a will take or what cuts Google will make to bring the price down to a mid-range level, it's hard to say before Google makes it official.

Android 13's moment to rise

Google I/O is always a big reveal for the next version of Android and everyone expects this year's show to do the same for Android 13. Based on early developer previews and beta builds, it doesn't look like Android 13 will be especially revolutionary, but some of the new updates sound pretty good.

A more versatile Nest Hub

Last but not least, we may see another addition to Google's Nest line of smart home products. Specifically, 9to5Google reported that a new Nest Hub device is on the way with a new feature that could drastically change the way you use it.