Google believes in the future of video chat and is looking at making it easier to access, announcing today that they will be integrating their video calling app Duo into the Dialler, Messaging and Contacts app on Nexus, Pixel and Android One phones.
Google is integrating Duo in the Dialler, Messaging and Contacts apps on these devices making it easy to make a video call when texting or calling someone with a simple tap. They’re also looking to integrate Duo into voice calls to let you switch to a video chat mid-call.
The aim is to work with carriers globally to make the video call component automatically use the ViLTE service of your LTE connection if it’s supported. Obviously if no ViLTE is available it will just use the standard data connection.
Working with carriers to include the requisite ViLTE switches adds layers of complexity to the rollout that Google is already having implementing Rich Communication Services (RCS).
The inclusion of Duo and Allo by default as Google Apps has indeed grown the install base of the apps, but actual user base has likely not grown. Allo remains shy key features for most modern chat users compared to the competition, but Duo has been a little more useful to me at least, allowing video chat in some pretty terrible network conditions while travelling, so more Duo is ok by me.
We’ll soon find out how this goes for Google and Duo, chime in below if you use Duo…or Allo on a regular basis.
So… Which Australian carriers can do ViLTE?
I use both with my family. I’m starting to want to move back to Hangouts for chat though as you can’t initiate an Allo message via Android Auto/Wear and the Web portal runs like crap on my Tab A 9.7. Which for a relatively new tablet is a real let down.
If they focused on bang for buck enhancements like multi-device and better integration Allo would be a much better system.
I love Google Duo, particularly for my 4YO child so he can see his grandparents or his mum while talking. Also I use it when traveling OS. It’s very useful to piss people off, call them on a cold Melbourne day while they’re at work and show them the beautiful beach you’re relaxing on, it really helps bring their emotions to the surface!!
Yes, Duo is much more useful than allo.
I use Allo regularly with my wife, works really well. Most of my other stuff is in hangouts, so I know I can mostly ignore that when busy which is nice.
I use Duo – for some reason my old S6 Edge and S8+ wont video call each other. So I have had to get onto Duo. Simple Easy – just wish it was integrated into the phone app (I use Google Phone App) – looking forward to it being ported to other phones.
The whole issue with Duo and Allo is that no one wants two or three apps to do the job of one. Integrating Duo into other apps makes sense from that perspective, although as a non-user of video calling (my wife is on an iPhone so Duo will never be useful to me) my main concern is how much unnecessary bloat will this add to the other apps that I actually do use?
I don’t think the code is in the other apps. It’s just deep integration.