Google is partnering with smartphone makers to make Google Assistant more accessible to consumers by adding a hardware button. On Google’s official blog it says that 100 million devices are expected to have the hardware button.
Highlights:
- Google is working with OEMs to bring a Google Assistant hardware button to smartphones
- The hardware button is expected to be on 100 million devices
- The first phone with the hardware button was the LG G7 launched last year
Last year the LG G7 launched with a dedicated button to bring up the Google Assistant. This year at MWC 2019, a number of smartphones have launched boasting a dedicated button to bring up the Google Assistant. Google’s official blog reads, “This year, we’re bringing the Google Assistant button to the full portfolio of new Android devices with LG and Nokia, including the LG G8 ThinQ and K40 and the Nokia 3.2 and 4.2. New phones from Xiaomi (including the Mi MIX 3 5G and Mi 9), TCL and Vivo (including the V15 Pro) will also launch with the Google Assistant button later this year.” The Vivo V15 Pro recently launched in India and the device has a dedicated Google Assistant button on the left. Samsung phones have had a hardware button to bring up Bixby for some time now. Google’s official blog goes on to say, “With these partnerships, we expect over 100 million devices to launch with a dedicated Google Assistant button.” With 100 million devices, people will have a new way to bring up the Google Assistant.
Pressing the dedicated Google Assistant button on the smartphone brings up the assistant so you can issue a voice command and double tapping the button brings up the Google Now-style curation of information for you.
What remains to be seen is if the button can be remapped to bring about specific Assistant related functions and how many of the 100 million devices actually launch in 2019.
Google Assistant launched in May 2016. It was initially a part of Google’s Messaging app Allo and the Google Home speaker. After some time of exclusivity with the first generation Pixel devices, the Google Assistant started rolling out to other Android devices in February 2017.
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Sameer Mitha
Sameer Mitha lives for gaming and technology is his muse. When he isn’t busy playing with gadgets or video games he delves into the world of fantasy novels. View Full Profile
