- "We want users to have an ongoing, two-way dialogue with Google," says CEO Sundar Pichai at the Google I/O conference as he reveals Google Assistant, a "conversational" assistant service that builds on Google Now's existing voice search service and competes with Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa. In addition to phones, Google Assistant will find its way into cars, smartwatches, and living room gear. (live blogs: The Verge, Re/code)
- One of those living room devices will be Google Home, a small speaker/voice assistant that (as previously reported) competes with Amazon's Echo line. Google (GOOG +0.2%) declares the device to be "unmatched in far-field voice recognition," and is capable of controlling other speakers and Chromecast sticks. Home will be available at some point later this year; no word on pricing yet.
- Looking to shore up Google's relatively weak position in a mobile messaging market where Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, WeChat, and Snapchat loom large, Google has launched Allo, a messaging app that will support Google Assistant and third-party chatbot services (echoes of Facebook's Messenger bots) and also suggests automated "smart replies" for various messages. The Verge's Casey Newton: "The question is, is Allo good enough to be the 11th messenger app on your phone?"
- Also: 1) A video call app called Duo has been launched; it emphasizes speed and simplicity. 2) Google says it has sold 25M Chromecast devices, up from a prior 20M. 3) Google Photos now has over 200M monthly active users. 4) Google Play saw 65B installs last year.
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Update: Google is also showing off the next version of Android (codenamed Android N). It features a slew of incremental improvements such as better GPU performance, 75% faster app installation times, a 50% reduction in compiled code size, improved notifications, and built-in split-screen and (for Android TV devices) picture-in-picture support.
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Update 2: Google has also shown off a reference design for a VR headset that will be powered by Android N phones, and work with a controller featuring buttons and a trackpad. HBO, the NBA, Ubisoft, and CNN are among Google's VR content partners.