Google's I/O: When it starts, what to expect and how to watch

Brett Molina

USA TODAY

For the second straight year, Google is expected to use its annual conference for software developers to push its latest hardware.

Wednesday kicks off Google I/O, the company's developers conference. It starts with a keynote address at 1 p.m. eastern, during which Google is likely to reveal lots of news about both its latest wave of gadgets and its software.

You can watch it here.

Here's what to expect on Wednesday:

How will Google take on Alexa?

Amazon's Echo fueled a surge in interest for both voice-enabled speakers and the digital assistants that power them.

Google made a small dent in the market with the launch of its Home speaker — enabled with Google Assistant — last year. According to research firm eMarketer, Echo commands a 70% share of the speaker market, followed by Google Home at 24%.

Plus, there are still some core features Google Home is missing, such as the ability to set appointments to your calendar or read emails. It's likely we hear a lot more about new features for both Home and the Assistant.

What about the Pixel smartphone?

Google impressed the tech industry with the introduction of its Pixel smartphone, seeming to borrow from Apple by creating a device best suited for running the company's variety of popular apps.

However, sales of the Pixel have been modest, while Apple and Samsung continue to dominate the smartphone space. Will we hear about a new Pixel, or might this be part of a bigger plan to push its hardware partners to make better phones?

What else could we learn?

Among the other gadgets Google could discuss on Wednesday: a virtual reality headset, the streaming stick Chromecast, and the Google Wifi router.

Google has discovered hardware is, well, hard

Google Home, a year later, lacks some core Google skills

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.

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