A recent teardown of the Google app version 7.10 appears to have uncovered three codenames belonging to the mysterious Bisto devices which are supposed to make extensive use of the company’s AI-powered Google Assistant. Specifically, the strings of code dug out following the teardown reveal the codenames “baywolf,” “apollo,” and “scout,” and further specify that all of these devices are capable of receiving conventional software updates over the air.
According to the newly uncovered information, Google is working on at least one design for a pair of wireless Bluetooth headphones powered by the Google Assistant. This product is said to be part of a wider range of wearables identified by the Bisto moniker, but it’s unclear whether the aforementioned three codenames correspond to three variations of the same pair of Bluetooth headphones, or if they are meant to identify three distinct products that share the Bisto product category. For now, rumors indicate that Google may be developing its first pair of headphones powered by artificial intelligence and that the company could create a new platform for partnered original equipment manufacturers to use in their own wireless headphones. Google is no stranger to this approach as its Android platform has been largely adopted by numerous OEMs in both the smartphone and smartwatch fields, and furthermore, the Google Assistant is now also expanding past the Google Home.
As for the Bisto headphones, strings of codes previously discovered in the Google app indicate that the product could adopt an over-the-ear design, featuring a physical button that needs to be pressed in order to activate the Google Assistant. The AI is supposed to be able to read text messages out loud, deliver notifications, and ultimately offer the same type of two-way communication provided by the Google Home smart speaker. In closing, however, it should be noted that bits of code don’t guarantee that a given product will ever be released and it remains to be seen what Google’s Bisto truly ends up being. More details on the matter could be revealed in early October alongside the upcoming Pixel 2 flagship and other possible products that Alphabet’s subsidiary could introduce as part of its latest consumer electronics push.