- An official Google blog post confirms that we will see new Google smart home products at I/O 2021.
- There were no hints about what to expect, but at least we know there will be an announcement.
- The smart home product launch will have its own event at 4:15 PM PT (7:15 PM ET) on May 19.
Google I/O 2021 is going to be all-virtual this year, which is better than what we got last year, which was no I/O at all. As usual, the event kicks off with a keynote speech from Sundar Pichai and other high-level Googlers. We expect there to be at least one hardware announcement during that event. That starts at 10:00 AM PT (1:00 PM ET) on May 18.
Later, though, it looks like we’ll see some new Google smart home products. On May 19 at 4:15 PM PT (7:15 PM ET), Google will hold an event centered on Google Assistant and the smart home. Per an official blog post related to this event, we can expect new product announcements then.
See also: Smart home devices: The best ones you can buy
Unfortunately, Google doesn’t give any hints on what to expect. It’s also not clear if these “new product announcements” would be hardware- or software-based. However, we think it’s a safe bet that we’d see at least one piece of new smart home hardware launch during I/O.
Recently, Google discontinued its popular line of Nest-branded security systems. Is it possible we’ll see a replacement launched at the event? Also, it’s been a while since we’ve seen any new Nest cameras, so maybe an update to that line is on the way.
This year’s I/O will mark the fifth anniversary of Google Assistant, so Google is probably going to make it a pretty big deal. Stay tuned for more rumors related to this launch, and check out our full rumor hub on I/O for all the latest.
