Google Assistant was long overdue, given the existence of virtual assistants such as Siri. In typical Google fashion, the service was initially limited to Pixel devices but slowly made its way to other smartphones as the team had more time to iron out the kinks. CES 2018 was all about smart devices powered by a virtual assistant, and we can expect to see a plethora of such devices released shortly.
It looks like Google has been doing even more work with its digital assistant lately by adding support for Routines, location-based reminders, an easier way for OEMs to integrate it and support for more than 30 languages by 2019. Multi-language support will be essential to the expansion of the Assistant in non-English speaking markets.
More languages to be supported
The Google Assistant is currently available in only eight languages, and the number is expected to go up to 30 by the end of this year. The success of the project will allow for the assistant to be deployed across several geographies. Some of the languages we can expect it to support Danish, Dutch, Hindi, Indonesian, Norwegian, Swedish, and Thai.
Additionally, the Google Assistant is also might get bilingual support which will be ideal for those people who speak more than one language. Some other big features coming to Google Assistant will be added over the next week.
Location-based reminders and routines
We can now set location-based reminders, a feature that was only available on smartphones, but now will work on smart speakers as well. For example, if you want to make sure you pick up the milk at the grocery store? All you have to do is ask the Assistant on your smart speaker. When you get to the store, the Assistant on your phone will remind you.
Routines were announced last year as a way to get multiple things done with one voice command. The feature lets you perform six routines that help with your morning, commutes to and from work, and evening at home. For example, say “Hey Google, I’m home,” and the Assistant on your Google Home or phone can turn on the lights, share any home reminders, play your favorite music and more, all with just four words.
The Assistant Mobile OEM program from Google enables OEMs to build deeper integrations between the Assistant and devices. There’s also the Assistant Carrier program for mobile carriers that lets customers learn more about their cellular plan, add new services to their current plan, get customer support and more.
The Google Assistant is arguably one of the best in the market right now, and with the number of resources Google is allocating to it, we can only expect it to outshine any competition.
