“With Android, I get to choose from many different products from many different phone manufacturers. With iOS, I get what Apple gives me. Which isn’t … bad, but it’s not always the best fit for my personal or business communication needs.” – Mark Cuban, Chairman of HDNet and owner of the Dallas Mavericks.
Have you just purchased a new iPhone 7 after being an Android fan for many years, or are you perhaps an Apple iOS aficionado? If so, you will be interested to know that the Google Assistant app has debuted on the Apple iPhone, and it is currently available for download in the iOS App Store. The VP of Engineering Assistant Scott Huffman stated on 17 May 2017 that “he was excited to announce that Google Assistant is available for iPhone.”
What is the Google Digital Assistant and how does it match up to Siri?
Before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s have a look at what the Google Assistant. In short, the Digital Assistant is essentially Google’s version of Siri. It answers questions, handle basic actions on the phone, and sends messages. It launched last year on Google’s Pixel smartphone and began expanding to all Android smartphones running Android Marshmallow and Nougat.
Most smartphone users are somewhat used to the great divide between Apple and Android devices, so some might be surprised at the crossover. On the other hand, there are already many Google services such as Gmail and Google Maps, etc. available for use on the iPhone that adding another Google app can’t hurt. However, it is not easy to use Google’s Assistant on the iPhone as the app has to be opened before it can be accessed. On the other hand, Siri can be launched from any iPhone screen with a long press of the Home Button.
Thus, Siri will always have the edge over the Assistant. Consequently, it is difficult to see how Google’s Assistant will be much competition to Siri as the fact that it can’t easily be accessed makes a far less useful helper.
The advantages of Google’s Digital Assistant
Before we question what Google’s masterplan is when it is obvious that the Assistant will always come second to Siri, Bloomberg notes that Google is rolling out its Assistant to General Electric home appliances such as the dishwashers, ovens, and washing machines. Thus, it makes sense that to connect a smart home, it is worth using the voice-activated intelligent helper across a wide range of devices.
Furthermore, if you are new to the iPhone 7 smartphone, and you prefer Google’s suite of apps even on the iPhone, it makes sense to open up the phone and navigate to the Assistant rather than try and navigate your way around Siri’s different user-interface. Of course, you could always learn to appreciate Siri’s subtle advantages on the iPhone. The good news is that you have a choice and which app you choose is entirely up to you.
