Google didn’t just announce an Amazon Echo competitor today; it also debuted Skype-like messaging and video chat platforms, called Allo and Duo, respectively. Allo and Duo are both mobile-based, which means that users don’t need a Google account for registering, but only a phone number.
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Do note that you can download Google Phone and install it only on Android One, Google Play Edition, and Nexus devices running Android Marshmallow or later. And not only WhatsApp but also chat apps like WeChat and the iMessage have a huge number of users, enough to make it hard for a new entrant to gain ground, even if that new player happens to be a Google app.
Chats on Allo can also be encrypted and like the incognito mode on Google’s Chrome browser you also get an incognito mode in chat with end-to end encryption.
The search engine giant claims that the app will self-learn how users speak to each other, and generate replies automatically with the help of artificial intelligence. The app makes your overall calling experience much better with more features that your regular dialer. This makes it easier for users to convince other people to use it.
It’s been Google a long time coming but Google has finally launched their own instant messaging service which will be available as an app on iOS and Android handsets. For starters, the app’s interface allows the messenger to interact using emotions. You can also choose for messages to “expire” after a certain amount of time, deleting the contents for all users in the conversation. Are there are features from Allo or Duo that you’d like to see integrated into Hangouts? It’s got Smart Reply built in that lets you respond to messages without having to type anything.
Smart Replies also works with images, thanks to Google’s image recognition technology. One of the key features of the app is called Knock, Knock, which shows a live preview of the video before you pick up the call.
Video calls on Duo will feature end-to-end encryption. This will let a user do Google searches without leaving the app.
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Allo will also have an incognito mode that offers end-to-end encryption.
