Alphabet Inc. Integrates Google Duo with Google Assistant Enabling Easy Access to Users for Video Calling

Users Can Now Make Video Calls Through Their Smartphones via the Google Duo Application. Considering That Google Assistant and Google Duo Are Both Alphabet’s Flagship Products, This Functionality Seemed Obvious, However, It Wasn’t So, Until Now

The race for the best Intelligent Assistant is heating up. Currently, Apple and Google seem to be fighting it out to outsmart one another in the Smartphone market. While Apple has developed Siri, Google likes to call its intelligent Assistant simply as, ‘Google Assistant.’

Some facts about them are –

• 76.7% of iPhone users have tried the iOS-powered Siri
• 42.7% of Android smartphone owners have used the ‘Google Assistant’
• The Google Assistant is now available on 400 million Smartphones

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Google’s Duo is one of the latest video calling applications available in the digital market. The Google Duo App is essentially Google’s answer to Apple’s Facetime.

Duo promises to be at par with the best video calling apps currently available. So, we wanted to know how Google Duo functions.

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Google Duo’s Basic Functionality

Google Duo has a simplistic design. Duo users need to simply log in, verify their phone number, and that’s really about it. The Application works seamlessly. Users video call their contacts just like they would place a normal phone call.

Considering how awkward video calls may get sometimes, Google’s Duo has an integrated feature that Google calls ‘Knock-Knock.’ This feature allows users to peek at what the caller is up to.

A visible flipside might be that Google Duo functions out of a user’s mobile number. This means that during a video call, other incoming calls cannot be received. The caller will only hear a ‘phone engaged’ message.

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This is unlike Skype, where users can receive normal calls because Skype does not function via a user’s phone number. Another aspect is that Google Duo is relatively new. This may result in very few users who actually use the app, but they can be invited.

The Google Duo is cross-platform (works on iOS & Android) and if rumors are right, Google plans to launch a web version as well.

The Way Critics Look at Google Duo

The Good 

1. Slick and simple
2. Excellent video and audio quality
3. The Duo application is made available across platforms
4. The ‘knock-knock’ feature

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Things That Need Work

1. Users can’t reject calls by sending a pre-built message
2. Users cannot accept calls without switching on their video
3. It does not connect very well with Wi-Fi
4. Users have complained that Google Duo consumes more mobile data than other video calling apps

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The Bottom Line

The move of integrating Duo with ‘Google Assistant’ might be a huge step to promote Google Duo in the Smartphone market. Although slightly delayed, this development assures that more users will now try out this promising video calling application.

The integration had to happen because of the market sentiment towards Google Assistant. This usually capable intelligent Assistant can capture security camera feed and stream it on your television. However, it was not able to send a message on Allo or initiate a video call on Google Duo. These were contrasting capabilities which are now hopefully getting balanced.

Allo and Duo are both Google products. Google Assistant still cannot send a message on Allo but at least now it can video call your contacts. All you have to say to your Google Assistant is “video call x_y (contact name).”

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