Google I/O 2019: All The Keynote Announcements You Need To Know

Google I/O 2018 was all about Smart homes, smarter Google Assistant, better Gmail, Powerful Google Lens, Self-driving cars and many more interesting announcements. These announcements were the reason for so much anticipation of Google I/O 2019.

Now that the keynote is wrapped up; let’s check out which rumors are true and which aren’t. This year Google I/O 2019 has made a few major announcements which we are eager to share with you all. But before that to all those who don’t know about Google I/O, let us begin with an introduction.

What is Google I/O?

Google I/O is a developer conference (or festival) organized by Google every year in Mountain View, California. The event started in 2008 by the executive team, in which i/o stands for input/output and the slogan Innovation in the Open. The format of the event is similar to Google developer day which includes seminars and code labs for the developers and technology enthusiasts.

Since 2008, Google I/O is a major tech event. Every year Google announces its plan, new devices and upgrades to existing devices. The event is not only for developers but for all the people who love technology.

Let us check out what was there for everyone in Google I/O 2019:

Top #8 Keynotes Announcement of Google I/O 2019

1. Android Q Beta 3 is Here!!
2. Nest Hub Max
3. Next Gen. Google Assistant
4. Live Caption feature
5. Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL
6. Google Maps – Incognito Mode
7. Google Lens Update
8. Duplex Is Coming To the Web

Now let’s discuss all 8 announcement in-depth,

1. Android Q Beta 3 is here!!

Google has already released Beta 1 and Beta 2 version of Android Q and now after the Android Q Beta 3 Release; it’s better to discuss it’s top features.

The Back Button Will Be Finally Out

With Android Q the Navigation staple of Android; the back button will be officially dead. A sideswipe gesture will be introduced in place of that. Swiping in from any side of the phone will do the function of the back button.

A System-Wide Dark Theme

My personal favorite and the most requested one; the dark theme mode will be now available throughout the operating system. With a Quick Settings Toggle it can be turned on and off. Also; Google has released a new API for the developers to add in their app. Hence; they can make their apps compatible with the dark theme.

Permissions And Privacy

Now the apps that are using your location will ask you three options from a pop-up every time; if you want to grant access all the time, or only when the app is being used or not at all. The permissions page will display which permissions are being accessed by how many apps in your phone.

Built-in Screen Recording

Now you can natively record a video of your Android phone screen without using any external app. It will also include options like visual indicators for the taps and the voice-over.

2. Nest Hub Max

Google has also officially launched the Nest Hub Max (which was previously leaked). It will have a single collection of Nest Camera, Google Home Hub and Google Home Max with a display of 10 inches. The next hub max will be your security camera to stream live feeds on your phone and you can make video calls as well.

The camera will recognize your face and will show personalized settings, calendar, and notifications. This feature will be called Face Match; for the privacy concerns, Google will store the data locally. Hence; there will be no involvement of the cloud.

Along with these smart new features; Nest Hub Max will have the basic features like a control panel for smart home devices like lights, thermostats, etc, it can also display photos/timers on demand, or you can command it to play YouTube Videos. The price for Nest Hub Max is going to be $229 plus the shipping.

3. Google Assistant

The next generation of Google Assistants are going to available on Pixel Phones. Assistant is going to be ten times faster than ever before. And it will change the way people interact with AI smart assistants.

For the voice app developers; Google is going to launch a series of new tools. It will include a session on Google assistant’s responses to “How to” questions and How you can markup languages for voice apps along with videos to display the search end results.

A driving mode is also added with Google Assistant which will show things like the map to your next destination as per your calendar schedule. Also, it will automatically start your podcast from where you left last time.

Assistant will remember the personal information about the things and the people you care the most. Hence; you don’t have to specify details every time; you can simply ask Google to “Remind me to get cake before Friend’s Birthday” and you will get the notification.

The best part about Google assistant is; with Nest Hub Max; you can assign reminders to specific members of the house and they will get the notification on time.

4. Live Caption Feature

Now you don’t have to enable subtitles every time manually; or even if your video doesn’t have subtitles, Google will provide Live subtitles for you. Whatever app you are using; be it Instagram, Pocket Casts, YouTube or even Video chat apps like Duo or Skype; You can get live captions at the bottom of the screen.

In a blog post, Google has mentioned that they have worked closely with a deaf community to make this feature as much accessible as possible. As per Google; Captions are more than just a convenience. For people who have lost their hearing power or are low at hearing captions make content more accessible.

Live caption titles are independent of the cloud and can also work offline; this is possible through on-device machine learning. The transcription will not be only limited to the bottom of the screen; you can move the captions wherever you want on the entire device screen.

The best part is; the live caption feature will work even if the volume is muted or turned down to low levels. It can simply analyze the source audio and will give you live captions even when the volume of your device is not audible.

5. Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL Launch

The two new members of Google’s Smartphone range are also launched at this Google I/O 2019. Google has finally found a way to deal with its sales woes; a mid-price range Pixel will be available for the people who were not able to afford the previous Pixel devices. The two smartphones are the perfect amalgamations of AI, hardware, and software.

Pixel 3a will have 12.2 MP Dual Pixel Shooter with all the best camera features like HDR+, Night Sight, AR Playground, Top Shot, Motion Auto Focus, Photobooth and many more.

So what’s the difference between Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL?

• Starting with battery; Pixel 3a XL will have 3700 mAh cell while Pixel 3a will have 3000 mAh cell.
• Talking about the screen resolution; Pixel 3a XL will have the 6-inch screen at 2160 * 1080 resolution (402 PPI) while Pixel 3a will have the 5.6-inch panel with 2220 * 1080 resolution (441 PPI).
• What will be the price of Google Pixel 3a or Pixel 3a XL? Pixel 3a will of $399 while Pixel 3a XL will cost around $479.

6. Google Maps – Incognito Mode

Now Google Maps will provide the advantage of searching a way to any destination in incognito mode. This feature might sound absurd for a few people; because why would anyone want to hide its previous route search history?

Here are a few real-life scenarios; imagine you are visiting marriage counselor or a divorce lawyer and the same search pops up when you are looking for a shopping place with your sister. If your sister is unaware about your personal life problem then this can an issue.

That’s why to avoid such embarrassments you can simply opt for the incognito mode in Google Maps too.

You can simply turn on or off from your profile on the top right of the app. Although the protection provided is limited but it is crucial. Other apps who need location access are still able to track your location just like any web browser in private mode.

7. Google Lens Update

Google Lens is going to witness some major transformations. You can check out the most popular dishes of that restaurant simply by pointing the camera on the restaurant menu. It will display the images of the dishes along with review pictures to help you make a decision. Google Lens will also support a dozen of languages to translate images in real time.

The Google lens option will be directly available on the Google Search Bar of Android Phones; the users can take the image and they will get the translation from any language in real-time.

8. Duplex Is Coming To the Web

Last year in Google I/O 2018; Google launched Google Duplex for your personal assistance. You can make a phone call, you can ask Google Assistant to make a doctor appointment for you or even make a bus reservation.

Google Duplex is a success in more than 44 states and now it is expanding its reach beyond voice and smartphone to the web. Now Google wants to make your exhausting form filling process easy on the web as well.

This year Google Duplex is now coming to the web. Yes; you can ask Google for car rental services and to book movie tickets from your desktop PC.

The app will use your calendar and email data to get the data for the trip and will use previous form selections and priorities to fill other details like car type, color, etc.

Duplex on the web will be available in the U.S and U.K this year in the English Language.

Related Video >> Watch Google I/O 2019 Keynote given by Sundar Pichai.

Over To You Now!

Google has proved its place in the technology world once again. With these announcements, it is clear that we are going to witness some major innovative changes this year. These changes are going to affect our daily lives as well as our businesses.

There will be a need to upgrade for every business and industry type. If you are looking for ways to transform your business then this is the peak time.

With such major announcements and changes, you need to upgrade your ways to serve your customers. Your competitors are already winning the race; it’s time to get into the race. We have a team of business analysts who will help you out to decide what kind of update will be beneficial for you.

Discuss with our experts and get into the world of digital transformation today.