One other Google I/O got here and went, and this 12 months’s occasion felt a bit totally different than previous years.
To nobody’s shock, AI was the large focus of Google I/O this 12 months, and whereas the corporate confirmed off some fascinating issues, it was maybe the brand new Google AI Ultra plan that basically bought a response out of me when it was introduced. The plan, which now joins Google’s newly renamed AI Professional subscription, prices a whopping $249 monthly. That’s no typo, and it looks like an ideal illustration of simply who Google I/O is basically for, which clearly isn’t me.
What do you get with Google AI Extremely? Just about every part. It comes with nearly every part Google introduced at I/O, from the brand new Gemini 2.5 mannequin to Flow with Veo 3 and early entry to options like Project Mariner. Oh, and Google threw in 30TB of Google One storage and YouTube Premium. It’s Google’s “The whole lot AI However The Kitchen Sink” plan.
Subscriptions like which are for the individuals who can profit from instruments like Veo 3 and Venture Mariner and may afford to pay about as a lot as my telephone invoice (with 4 strains, thoughts you). After we requested Google concerning the plan and why it prices a lot in comparison with the $20 monthly AI Professional plan, it was defined that “the way in which to think about the Google AI Extremely plan is it is virtually like your VIP entry to all of Google’s AI.”
Frankly, I can’t think about this might be a well-liked possibility amongst common shoppers akin to myself and even a few of you studying this. I don’t even wish to pay $20 for AI Professional. It simply feels very out of attain, which was a sense I bought all through a lot of the keynote presentation.
The truth is, lots of my colleagues have lamented in recent times about how boring and developer-focused I/O has develop into. Nevertheless, as Android Central senior editor Jerry Hildenbrand factors out, that’s exactly what I/O is for.
“Apple and Microsoft wouldn’t be the place they’re at the moment with out third events constructing causes to make use of them. Give it some thought — do you wish to use a smartphone platform that has zero apps?”
“Developer conferences exist to attempt to be sure that would not occur. Hour after hour of difficult and confusing presentations may appear pointless to you, however the particular person constructing the subsequent nice thought is paying shut consideration.”
At the least somebody’s paying consideration, as a result of frankly, that keynote was uninteresting as hell. I imply, it wasn’t all unhealthy, and there have been some issues that stood out to me. The Venture Astra video demo in all probability bought fairly a little bit of applause and confirmed off a product that appeared genuinely helpful, particularly on prime of Gemini Live. The stay demo of the prototype Android XR glasses was additionally fairly cool, even when issues didn’t go 100% as deliberate.
Even so, with the bevy of AI merchandise introduced at I/O, the keynote felt a bit onerous to comply with for those who’re not of a developer mindset or a complete tech nerd who loves following these items, and virtually like a retread of issues we heard about final 12 months.
And even with some options rolling out like AI Mode on Search, a number of what Google talked about felt considerably intangible and out of attain for the typical client. AI that may construct an app? Cool. Video calls in 3D that require costly tools? Neat, I assume.
Should you take a look at the listing of 100 things Google announced at I/O, the corporate shoved all of the consumer-facing stuff that you just or I would care about into the primary 20 issues, whereas 4/5 of it’s simply developer blah, previews, and tokens.
Certain, we bought to demo Samsung’s Project Moohan and people XR glasses, however we nonetheless don’t know after they’ll be accessible, and Jerry is satisfied that no one will care when they are.
The truth is, every part that we did care about, i.e., Android, Put on OS, and the software program that we have interaction with each day, was all shoved apart right into a separate pre-recorded video every week previous to I/O. It genuinely felt like an afterthought for Google, which is why it was in all probability a superb factor that there was a separate devoted “occasion.”
I/O was centered on the issues that can make Google cash: AI and Search. The whole lot else is just about secondary, and that’s okay. It simply provides me extra to look ahead to later this 12 months when Google releases Android 16 and launches the Pixel 10 collection, which is what shoppers like me will actually care about.
However what I received’t be doing is shelling out $250 a month for a subscription… from anybody.
