Google is expanding calling capabilities through its Google Assistant to some third-party devices, according to Android Authority. On a support page, Google indicates that calling through the AI voice assistant is available on all Assistant-powered smart displays as well as on select speakers from Harman and Insignia.
Business Insider Intelligence
Expanding its calling capabilities could be key for Google in increasing its share of the smart speaker market and setting its devices apart from those of top competitor Amazon.
Communication has become a key feature for smart speakers, but thus far it’s generally been limited to first-party devices. Half of those surveyed in Business Insider Intelligence’s New Technologies survey said that calling and texting via voice is one of the three most exciting possible uses for the emerging control medium.
For Amazon, only its Echo devices specifically are able to make calls — meaning that even devices such as the e-commerce titan’s own Alexa-enabled Fire TV Cube can’t be used for calling — while for Google, communicating capabilities had been limited to its Google Home devices.
Google and Amazon have probably restricted call functionality between their voice assistants and third-party devices in order to better control user experience: The companies likely haven’t tested many third-party devices to ensure they can deliver a satisfactory voice-assistant calling process.
Bringing calling features to more devices within its wider voice ecosystem could help Google to expand its smart home user base. Neither Google nor Amazon is looking to be the sole provider of smart speakers and voice-enabled devices within their respective ecosystems, instead providing development kits and reference designs for partners to create devices to serve similar roles in consumers’ homes.
But these third-party devices haven’t been able to fully compete with the tech giants’ own smart speakers due to limitations like the lack of calling features. Enabling calling compatibility in more third-party devices could give Google an advantage in fostering increased adoption of Assistant-powered devices, though the strategy isn’t without risk.
Consumers will have wider access to in-demand calling features and a potentially lower cost of entry into the ecosystem thanks to increased hardware competition. In loosening its control of calling, though, Google could unintentionally introduce a subpar calling experience. The company seems to be taking steps to prevent issues by limiting rollout to vetted devices.
But it will have to give up that control if it makes such a feature a core part of its voice platform, meaning the search giant would have to rely on consumers discerning who’s responsible (Google or the third-party device manufacturer) for a poor calling experience. That’s a risky path, and it could mean calling will stay confined to a smaller stable of tested devices for awhile yet.
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Source: Business Insider – pnewman@businessinsider.com (Peter Newman)