With the launch of the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones last year, Google also debuted its AI-based digital assistant, called Google Assistant, which however, remained exclusive to its Pixel phones. Eventually, Google decided to roll out the digital assistant to other non-Pixel devices as well, which run on Android Marshmallow or above, and today is the day the roll out officially begins. And before Google Assistant has even begun to touch Android smartphones, a Google executive has implied the arrival of the assistant on iPhones soon.
In an interview at MWC 2017, Gummi Hafsteinsson, product management director at Google, hinted at the possibility of Google Assistant being made available for iOS. Twisting his words in a riddle, Hafsteinsson said, while there are no plans to bring the Assistant to the iPhone, Google’s general philosophy is “to have the Assistant available to as many people as possible.” If this is really true, the move sounds like Google is attempting a Trojan Horse-philosophy against Apple, by entering the iOS with its own Google Assistant to take over Siri.
ALSO READ: Apple could broaden its $50 billion US manufacturing and supplier base
However, you would probably agree, this news raises two very important arguments in one’s mind. First of all, before Google progresses to iOS with the Google Assistant, shouldn’t it first make sure, all compatible Android devices have the feature? You’d say that Google is rolling out the Assistant for Android devices running Marshmallow and above. But what you are forgetting is the rollout is currently limited only to the US, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and Germany. So we don’t even know yet when the Google Assistant is coming to India for the non-pixel devices. There is no mention of when Google will be releasing its AI-based Assistant to other countries.
Secondly, if and when Google Assistant is rolled out to iPhones, why would any iOS user give up Siri, which after iOS 10 is integrated within multiple iOS apps, to move to an alien digital assistant.
Source: Appleinsider
0 comments: