A new report suggests that Google has started deploying Google Duplex to non-Pixel Android handsets. This report comes several weeks after the search giant announced that it will roll out the feature to non-Pixel devices, whether they run iOS or Android operating systems.
According to XDA Developers, a person who owns a unit of the Galaxy S10+ used the Google Assistant to make a reservation at a local restaurant, and the search giant’s AI-powered assistant offered to call the establishment on the user’s behalf after it discovered that the restaurant does not support an online reservation platform integrated with the virtual assistant.Around six minutes after the user provided details like the date, time, and the number of guests, the Google Assistant informed the person about the confirmation of the reservation at the local restaurant.
Google Duplex is an automated system that calls businesses to make reservations for the user, and the search giant launched this service during the Google I/O event last year. The functionality takes advantage of the features already present within Google Assistant, allowing Google Duplex to better understand the speech and respond to conversations more naturally.
In addition to making and confirming reservations, the feature will also create a reminder and mark the appointment on the user’s Calendar app. Aside from reservations, people may also use Google Duplex to call businesses for additional information that may not be available online.
While there are initial concerns about privacy surrounding the service, Google instituted measures to ensure the protection of people’s privacy. For example, before making a reservation, Google Duplex declares to the person receiving the call that it is an automated service and is recording the call. Moreover, it will only call a business if there is no other way to book the appointment online.
While it is a very useful feature, especially to people who have very tight schedules, the practicality of the feature is restricted at launch by Google’s limited deployment of Google Duplex. At first, the service is only available in four urban areas in the United States, namely Atlanta, New York, Phoenix, and San Francisco, although Google recently expanded the feature to 43 more states across the country.
However, despite the deployment of Google Duplex to non-Pixel smartphones, the feature is still only available in the United States. Moreover, Google previously mentioned that the device support will “slowly become available” which suggests that the search giant will roll out the feature in stages.
Aside from the Google Duplex, another feature that Google may deploy to other handsets soon is the Call Screen functionality. This feature aims to screen calls for scammers or spammers by obtaining valuable information about the identity of the caller and the purpose of the call. A teardown into the code of a recent beta version of the Google Phone application reveals that Android One handsets may also receive the feature soon.
The expansion of Google Duplex to more handsets make the feature more accessible to a greater number of consumers, although it may take more time for other users, especially those who own older smartphones, before they receive the feature.
