With the Google I/O 2017 set to kick off on May 17, there is a chance the next Android, rumored to be version 8.0 or Android Oreo, will be introduced alongside a new Pixel hardware if only to showcase the fresh features packed with the mobile OS. Now what could be the new handset specs and feature upgrades cooked up by Google?

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Below are just a few of the likely minimal bumps to expect:

All-screen profile

Samsung stunned with the Infinity Display unboxed with the Galaxy S8 and the same effect was seen with the LG G6, and speculations are rife Apple will give the same treatment to the all-glass iPhone 8. YouTuber Marques Brownlee recently said the Pixel phones are nearly perfect for an Android smartphone save for one thing - they need to get more beautiful.

And that has to be one of the key upgrades that the next Pixel phones need to deliver - a heavy dose of prettification and having a front panel that is nearly free of bezels should be a good start. To be sure, a prettier Pixel 2 will potentially draw some attention away from the GS8 and iPhone 8.

Dual camera

There is little doubt the next iPhone will have a better dual camera setting than the iPhone series and Samsung is said to deliver the same with the Galaxy Note 8 later this 2017. It's unimaginable that Google will overlook the emerging smartphone camera standard so it's safe to assume that the Pixel 2 will boast of killer camera features that will rival the chief competition.

Longer battery life

A smartphone is only as good as how long the battery lasts in a single charge. With the Galaxy S8, Samsung is nearing perfection on this department with the device averaging between 16 and 18 hours. So it's only natural for Google to further improve on the maximum 13 hours of battery juice that the original Pixel was able to deliver.

Increased storage capacity

Apple rolled out an iPhone 7 with 256GB of internal memory while Samsung permits the expansion of the GS8's storage by up to 2TB. The pressure is on for Google to replicate the moves - either release a Pixel 2 with more than 256GB of storage capacity or add a microSD slot that can chew in the same amount of memory that the GS8 can accommodate.

As mentioned, the Google I/O 2017 is happening next week and a Google Pixe2 model might make an appearance on the same event but to be realistic the actual release date is unlikely until the second half of the year.