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Google I/O Recap // New Google Pixel features, Google Photos, Android 12, WearOS, AI, & more!
Here is my quick recap of the Google I/O 2021 event including multiple new features for the Pixel lineup. This 2-hour jammed packed event included new Google Photos features, new Android 12 features, extremely exciting news about WearOS and Fitbit, lots of news about AI advancements and a lot more interesting news.
✨ WATCH NEXT ✨
- Google Pixel 4a Review https://youtu.be/7wNDXsDKoCg
- Taking stars with your phone https://youtu.be/LwnMOsq0Mpk
- Pixel 4a vs DSLR https://youtu.be/4KY9rIr0ifE
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📖 CHAPTERS 📖
00:00 - Introduction
00:27 - Google Photos
02:23 - More inclusive camera
03:09 - Android 12
05:32 - Android TV Remote
05:45 - Car Key
06:24 - Beta v1
06:34 - WearOS + @FitbitOfficialSite
07:52 - AI for Health
08:44 - Project Starline
09:19 - Smart Canvas
08:43 - AI advancements
11:20 - AR Athletes
11:41 - Password Manager
12:07 - Google Maps updates
13:29 - Sustainability
13:50 - Conclusion
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Video Links
- Google Pixel 4a Review
- Taking stars with your phone
- Pixel 4a vs DSLR
- Instagram: @loic.bellemare.alford ()
- TikTok
- My online store
- Affiliate link for Epidemic Sound
- https://kit.co/loic.bellemare.alford/youtube-gear
- DJI Pocket 2 Creator Combo
- 128 gb MicroSD card
- Canon 6D Mk
- Google Pixel 4a
- Canon ZOOM LENS EF24-105mm F4L IS II USM
- Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 Lens
- Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L-IS II USM Lens
- VANGUARD VEO 2 265CB CARBON FIBER TRIPOD
- DJI MAVIC AIR
- http://bit.ly/loicba
What is this video about?
Google I/O 2021 was packed with announcements, and I wanted to walk through the highlights that caught my attention. This event covered so much ground—from incremental updates to genuinely game-changing features—so I put together this quick recap to break it all down.
The new Google Photos features stood out to me first. They're making the app smarter about organizing and suggesting edits, which feels like a natural evolution of what Google does best with machine learning and your data.
On the camera side, Google showed off a more inclusive approach to computational photography. The idea of making portraits and skin tone detection work better across all skin types is something I'm genuinely interested in testing out on the Pixel devices.
Android 12 brings some solid improvements under the hood, and I'm curious how the visual redesign will feel once it rolls out. There were also practical additions like the Android TV Remote functionality and some early announcements around digital car keys that hint at where mobile devices are heading.
The WearOS news was huge—Google's partnership with Fitbit opens up interesting possibilities for smartwatches, and the momentum behind wearables feels real right now.
Beyond hardware, Google shared some impressive AI advancements. Project Starline caught everyone's attention with its approach to realistic video calls, Smart Canvas showed AI helping with productivity, and their work on AI for health is genuinely forward-thinking. The AR Athletes demo was fun to see as well, even if it felt more experimental than immediately practical.
There were also updates to password management, Google Maps, and a push toward sustainability in their products—smaller announcements but part of the bigger picture of how Google's ecosystem evolves.
Overall, it was a solid event. Nothing felt revolutionary on its own, but together it paints a picture of where Google sees the future heading. Let me know what announcements excited you most.