Next week’s Google I/O event may change Samsung forever

Google will host its equivalent of Unpacked next week. The Google I/O event is where the company unveils new software and hardware products every year, but for 2023, the industry expects Google to have way more to reveal than usual. The company may announce some products that will challenge Samsung and influence its future.

Android 14 will be in the spotlight again

Google I/O will go live next week, on May 10. And one of the least surprising appearances at the event should be Android 14. The company has already released test versions of the firmware, but everyone expects it to formally announce the OS at I/O. Some of the Android 14 features soon to be announced at Google I/O may come to Samsung's One UI 6.0 in one form or another.

Along with Android 14, Google is also expected to unveil a new Pixel phone, the so-called Pixel 7a, which is said to be powered by the Tensor G2 chip manufactured by Samsung.

But by far, the most exciting products people expect to see at Google I/O are Google's first foldable phone and a new tablet.

Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy tablets to be challenged by Google

It's been years since Google released a tablet, but things could change next week. The company may unveil its first tablet in years, called the Pixel Tablet, and it's a pretty big deal even for Samsung fans.

The Pixel Tablet could bring new tablet-centric ideas to the Android platform, and that may change some ways about the way Samsung approaches its own tablet software and hardware. It may even persuade more brands to take another shot at building Android tablets.

The Pixel Tablet could bring some healthy competition to the Android tablet market over which Samsung reigns supreme. And rumors say it will undercut the Galaxy Tab S8, which could give Samsung reasons to revise its pricing strategy. It may also be why the Korean tech giant appears to be working on two new Fan Edition tablets instead of one.

Last but not least, another exciting product we may see at Google I/O is a new foldable phone — Google's first. It, too, will use some Samsung-made technologies, including a foldable panel made by the Korean tech giant.

The so-called Pixel Fold will enter the market in the same category as the Galaxy Z Fold series and could shake things up for Samsung and Galaxy Z Fold fans. Outside of China, Samsung doesn't have a true rival in the book-like foldable phone market, but the Pixel Fold might become that.

However, the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet's alleged unveiling next week is based on leaks, and there's no guarantee that Google will unwrap its new foldable phone and tablet at I/O. But it might, and that's a good enough reason even for Samsung fans to look forward to the May 10 event.