Tech giant Google is hosting its Google I/O keynote today at 10:00 PT in the US, with the entire presentation to be broadcast from Mountain View, California virtually all over the world, from North America, to Europe to Africa.
Those interested can check out its site where you can find a countdown with only a few hours left before it begins, as of the time of writing. Africa’s tech-savvy community will not have to wait long for the event, but because the continent is so vast and time zones so disparate we collated the event’s start time across a few population hubs.
Google I/O 2023 keynote start times across Africa:
- Accra, Ghana – 17:00 GMT,
- Lagos, Nigeria – 18:00 WAT,
- Johannesburg, South Africa – 19:00 CAT,
- Nairobi, Kenya – 20:00 EAT,
- Cairo, Egypt – 20:00 EEST.
Alternatively, the event will be livestreamed on YouTube, and can be watched below:
There are several important announcements expected from the tech giant at the event, across most of its business sectors. The keynote will feature remarks from Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, will feature new products from the company, and may even have some news about its ongoing journey into AI.
The Google Pixel Fold is expected to be finally revealed in detail at I/O this year. Last week it was shown in a very short teaser where we got to see what the device looked like after months of rumours and leaks.
While we know what the Pixel Fold looks like, we basically know nothing else about the device other than a few details from a CNBC report. These details include that it will have a very durable folding hinge, it will be a heavier device than the Samsung Z Fold, and its battery could last up to 72 in a single charge on low settings.
Other than that information about its specifications, including CPU, GPU, RAM, storage, display, cameras, etc. is still up in the air.
Additionally, some publications are expecting to see the brand launch a new mid-range smartphone, the Google Pixel 7A, which has only been seen in leaks thus far, and more details about its upcoming Google Pixel Tablet.
The upcoming Android 14 OS may also see some limelight at the event, especially when it comes to how the system will feature in Google’s foldable devices, such as the Pixel Fold.
Finally, Google is expected to show off some of its latest innovations in the world of AI. Its Bard platform was reportedly hastily built soon after Microsoft announced its ChatGPT-powered Bing search engine.
Bard quickly became the ugly stepchild of Big Tech AI chatbots, especially after a string of early fumbles saw the work-in-progress platform drop Google stock prices. Google has constantly said that Bard is not complete yet, and at times does give incorrect responses – something the company is keen to iron out.
At IO, we may see a new improved Bard, or perhaps a wider launch of the platform. While the ‘new’ Bing is already available worldwide, including South Africa, Bard has yet to touch Mzansi.
Finally, the company’s “Matter” smart home interoperability system could also get some airtime during the keynote. It is also important to note that the main keynote on Wednesday will be followed directly by a Developer Keynote, in which more about Google’s developer products, solutions and technology will be detailed.
Access to that event can be found here.
