Google I/O 2023 Recap: We Discuss the Pixel 7a, Pixel Fold, Pixel Tablet, and AI

Google Pixel 7a was announced at the Google I/O 2023 on May 10. The new Pixel A-series smartphone was accompanied by a bunch of other products from Google. The company announced its first foldable phone, the Pixel Fold. It also finally launched the Pixel Tablet in the US and a few other markets after previewing it at last year's I/O. Google also announced Android 14, which now brings features from the company's Generative AI. Also, Bard, Google's ChatGPT rival, is now available in over 180 countries, including India. As obvious as it reads, Google I/O 2023 was home to many announcements.

On this week's episode of the Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital, Executive Editor Jamshed Avari and Deputy News Editor Siddharth Suvarna talk to host Pranav Hegde — that's me — about every major announcement that was made at Google I/O 2023.

We start off with the Pixel 7a, which is Google's new Pixel A-series smartphone in India. The Pixel 7a's price in India is set at Rs. 43,999 for the sole 8GB + 128GB storage option. For the price, the handset offers many upgrades over the outgoing model. It has an IP67 rating, a smoother 90Hz AMOLED display, a new 64-megapixel dual rear camera setup, and a Tensor G2 SoC. We discussed about how the Pixel 7a's hardware upgrades complement the smart software features that a Pixel is known for. Jamshed also highlighted some of the new Android 14 features coming to the Pixel 7a.

We then moved to the Pixel Fold, and how the design is a mix of the Oppo Find N2 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. The foldable phone is not coming to India at launch, but you never know, Google might surprise its fans and customers here. We also spoke about how the Pixel Fold could set the tone for Android OEMs out there as Google has now worked on optimisation tools for foldable phones.

Next up, there is the Pixel Tablet. Siddharth, who has been a Pixel user, said he did not find a “wow factor” in the Pixel Tablet, but highlights its pros, such as a sleek design, quad speakers, an 11-inch display, etc. However, with Google's push for ecosystem products, the Pixel Tablet could boost interest in the Android tablet world.

At the end, we spoke about Google's AI-related announcements, including some smart features coming to several Google apps. Of course, no Google I/O is complete without a mention of the latest Android update, which in this case is Android 14.

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