Google's plans for the rest of this year and beyond are about to come into sharp focus. The company just set a date for its annual Google I/O developer conference, where we're expecting to see a preview of the next version of Android along with several potential hardware announcements. It all kicks off on Wednesday, May 10, with Google CEO Sundar Pichai announcing the date via Twitter (opens in new tab) , after Google's annual online puzzle (opens in new tab) gave people the chance to figure out when Google I/O 2023 was happening ahead of the official announcement. Excited that this year's #GoogleIO will be on May 10, live from Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View and online at https://t. co/sWxfPsVvJi pic. twitter. com/QtNXE6wjl5 March 7, 2023 This year, Google I/O will be a single-day affair, a change from years past when I/O took up a couple days. It sounds as if the event will begin as always with a keynote, and that's where we're likely to hear about Google's latest product news and announcements, including software and hardware. Here's more information about Google I/O 2023, including details about the event itself as well as what we're likely to hear during the opening keynote from Pichai and other Google executives. Google I/O 2023 will take place on Wednesday, May 10. That's in line with when Google normally holds its developers conference — last year's edition took place on May 11 and May 12, for example. There will be an in-person event at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif. , a venue that's just down the street from Google headquarters. Most people will attend virtually, though since Google streams its developer conference. The Google I/O 2023 website (opens in new tab) has yet to add an agenda, which would let us know when the opening keynote is taking place. However, an invitation to attend Google I/O 2023 in person received by Tom's Guide — yes, we're going to attend — notes that the event gets underway at 1 p. m. ET/ 10 a. m. PT/ 6 p. m. BST on May 10. Once it's posted, the Google I/O 2023 agenda should give us a pretty good idea of what to expect from this year's event. However, we can already make some educated guesses about what's on tap, given Google's past announcements and rumors about the company's current plans. The latest version of Android almost always gets a showcase during Google I/O, and we can't imagine 2023 will be much different. For this year's show, the focus will be on Android 14 , the next version of Google's mobile operating system set to come out in late summer. The first developer preview of Android 14 came out in February, and based on Google's published Android 14 timeline, we should already have a beta release by the time Google I/O 2023 rolls around. Nevertheless, the I/O keynote serves as an excellent platform for alerting people to an Android updates new features and enhancements. Based on the Android 14 developer preview, we already know that the software update adds features like app cloning, which allows you to use one app with different sign-in credentials, and a guest profile for using the phone app. Android 14 seemingly adds a predictive back gesture that brings up a preview of the page you're going back to when you swipe and hold. Google's also working on a more powerful photo picker, a new Health Connect app and expanded game controller support. We'll likely hear about more Android 14 features from subsequent developer previews and betas. Google I/O 2023 will be our first chance to see some of these features in action. While software is the focus at Google I/O, Google's not shy about its hardware plans, particularly in recent years. It's possible that's going to continue at Google I/O 2023 if only to deal with some lingering devices previewed last year. Google Pixel Tablet: Google actually previewed this Android tablet at the 2022 edition of Google I/O promising that it would ship sometime in 2023. We're three months into the new year with no sign of a tablet yet or any hint about how much it will cost. Google could come full circle on the Pixel Tablet by releasing it for good during Google I/O 2023, assuming the tablet's not in line for a launch later in the year. Regardless of when it appears, the Pixel Tablet appears likely to offer a 10. 95-inch display with a Tensor chipset providing the engine. There's also some talk of a stylus shipping with the Pixel Tablet. Pixel 7a: The original Pixel 3a made its debut at a past Google I/O, and Google teased the summer release of last year's Pixel 6a at the 2022 developer conference. With the Pixel 7a expected to come out in the same time frame as the 6a, a Google I/O 2023 preview isn't out of the question. The highlight of the Pixel 7a could be a display with a 90Hz refresh rate, though we're not certainly if Google will want to reserve that capability for its regular Pixel flagship. Speaking of which, the Pixel 7 got a sneak peek during Google I/O 2022, so something involving the Pixel 8 ahead of its fall launch wouldn't fee out of place at Google I/O 2023. Pixel Fold: There's precedent for Google showcasing all of the other hardware we've mentioned up until now. A foldable phone would be unprecedented simply because it's something Google's never released. However, lots of rumor mongers claim Google is about to do just that — when they're not also circulating rumors that the Pixel Fold has been delayed or even cancelled. As of now, though, the Pixel Fold is reportedly a go. It will be a phone that opens up to reveal a larger screen similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 4 . At least one Google watcher thinks the device will get a preview at Google I/O this spring before launching later in the year. It would certainly give developers a chance to lay eyes on Google's foldable phone and maybe inspire them to develop apps that take advantage of the extra screen real estate. Since we've only just gotten a date for Google I/O 2023, we expect a lot more details about the conference to fall into place in the coming weeks. The conference's agenda will go a long way toward helping set expectations about what Google might have in store for us. Stay tuned. .