Google's annual developer conference, I/O 2019 has been stared on Tuesday in Mountain View, California and it will go live till 9th May. The conference commenced with a keynote, in which Google CEO, Sundar Pichai and other executives took the stage to unveil some of its latest hardware and software advancements. This time, Google has announced more hardware as compared to last year.
The search giant has also made a slew of software announcements. During the keynote, Sundar Pichai said, "We are moving from a company that helps you find answers to a company that helps you get things done. This morning, we'll introduce you to many products built on a foundation of user trust and privacy."
This year, Google explained how much they are concern about user privacy and made announcements of several privacy features. At the middle of the keynote, a plane started circling the amphitheatre where Google holds its annual conference, towing a protest banner. "Google control is not privacy #savelocalnews," the banner read. It is very odd to see that protester use something very expensive. It is still unclear who paid for this.
Here are some highlights of Google I/O keynote 2019.
The arrival of Pixel 3a
Google on Tuesday unveiled the latest generation of its smartphones – Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL – that will make a debut on the same day in India. The devices get a price tag of ₹39,999 onwards. Both the phones will be available from May 15. The new pixel series appeal to customers who want a cutting-edge smartphone at a more affordable price. cutting-edge smartphone at a more affordable price.
The Pixel 3a and 3a XL come with Night Sight, Super Res Zoom, and portrait mode on both the rear- and front-facing shooters.
Google smartphone display with a camera
Another hardware that has been announced at the keynote is the Nest Hub Max, which is the company's larger version of its smart-screen home device. It now has a camera that can double as a Nest security system.
Thanks to camera addition, the Nest Hub Max can do some interesting new tricks now like face detection of a walking person and it can be turned into video chatting device using Google's Duo app. It zooms in and pans to follow the person who's talking.
Android Q gets a Dark Mode
The search titan also shared an update to its upcoming OS – Android Q. The company released the third beta version of the Android Q. Now, it gets a new dark mode, which makes backgrounds black and text white to be easier on the eyes and battery life.
Android Q also features "Digital Wellbeing" and "Focus Mode". Digital Wellbeing was announced by the company last year to help users to use apps less. This year, Focus Mode is new to Android, which disables "distracting" apps such as YouTube. This android version is more compatible with the foldable device. It is a bit awkward for Samsung as their Galaxy Fold failed in April.
Google's Assistant Upgraded
Now, Google Assistant can get information from your contacts, calendar, or places you often visit online, and it now works faster on Pixel devices. Assistant is also bringing Live Caption to all videos. When you watch a video, whether it's on your camera roll, on an app / the web, or even video chats, Google can soon begin adding subtitles.
Google Maps gets Incognito Mode
As I/O 2019 is more focused on privacy, Google Maps will soon get an Incognito mode for more private searches and it will be available for both the web and on the app. Last week, the company made an announcement of auto-deleting location and web activity between periods of every three to 18 months.
