With all the rumours, leaks and particularly the screenshots that are appearing more consistently by the day it seems more and more likely that Google Babel is in fact real, and fast approaching. In a way it doesn’t feel right labelling these posts as rumours, but until there’s an official announcement, we’ve no proof that Babel is in fact a “real” product.
It’s probably fair to say that Google’s many and varied messaging solutions have caused users a headache or two at some stage – even we get confused from time to time – so a clear effort to centralize all of this in a single service with a pleasant, modern user interface is exciting. Every day, we see more and more information emerge regarding rumoured functions and capabilities.
Droid Life is today reporting new information – including a rough feature list for Babel:
- iOS interface
- New UI
- Cross device sync, includes message review on any attached device
- A desktop app
- Single notification of any one message
- Group conversation
- MMS style photo attachment
- Google Voice is “coming”
We’ve previously seen a number of screenshots giving us a look at Babel. While there’s no major surprises, it’s great to see cross device sync of messaging and notifications listed. Users should be able to start a conversation on one device and continue it on another, echoing the Continuous Client idea that’s been around for some time now.
Notably, Google’s highlighted the iOS interface as some of their best work on the platform to date. While an iOS client for a cross-platform messaging service seems a foregone conclusion, this might indicate that they want to take on iMessage nose-to-nose.
Of the latest rumored features list, one I’m keen to see is the single notification of messages. This should see an end to the receipt of notifications across all logged-in devices – once you acknowledge the message on one device, all other devices’ notifications are cancelled – an intelligent and time saving system.
There’s a lot of speculation that Babel will be announced at Google I/O in May – just a few weeks away. It certainly sounds like it will answer the call of many users who have been asking for a more centralised messaging solution.
Are you looking forward to Babel’s release? What features are you keen to try? Let us know in the comments below.
What do you mean when you say Google Voice is “coming”? Google Voice already exists in USA, so do you mean it’s coming to Australia? That would be good.
Just so long as you are not forced into a google+ account to use this. I’m getting sick of google’s attempts to push their facepalm alternative and demand personally identifiable info as well. Google Talk does all I want.
Whatever happened to standards compliant?
I’m quite confident it will require you to have a G+ account activated, and it will link with your G+ account.
I don’t use G+, but I have ‘upgraded’ my Gmail account to it, just so I get the one login thing across all of Google’s services.
I assume it’ll be the same with this Babel -> log in with your G+ account, and that’s all that’s required. You don’t have to use G+ if you don’t want to (I sure don’t).
I’m wondering if this new messaging service will only come with the next version of Android, or will it be pushed out by Google OTA to Android devices, or if it will be an app download on the Play Store.
If Google want people using this, I’d assume, they’d push it out OTA to all devices that are compatible with it.
Totally looking forward to seeing this happen. The mishmash of services that Google have at the moment is painful to use. The cross device sync and single message notifications are musts, simply to keep pace with Apple and iMessage
I keep asking if SMS will be integrated and I can’t get an answer, I know rumours are rumours but I really have my hopes up.
|iOS interface
Didn’t bother reading further.
Actually that’s a necessity in my book. It will be a clear differentiator between Apple’s clear closed platform strategy (iMessage being available only on Apple devices) and Google’s Babel which, at this stage, looks like a cross platform, cross device messaging strategy.
It’d be just another feather in Google’s cap.
What i’m getting at is that “iOS interface” is not on any google apps, and it’s highly unlikely they’ll do it now. Google have their own (holo) way of doing things.
So yeah I doubt this rumour is true.
I think they mean an iOS interface in that iOS users will have an interface to babel that will integrate well on their device – they won’t be alienated. I am sure the Android app will still be holo, an have a small incentive to use Android over iOS…and I hope that is the single notification feature 🙂
That’s the way I understood it too, simply put, Babel messaging will be available on iOS, Windows, OS X, Linux and, rather obviously Android.
One can already see some hints in Chrome, it now includes notification facility on both Windows and OS X. These notifications already report events from one’s Google+ account and Google Music.
Yep. If it is widely cross platform, both mobile, tablet and desktop, then I will use it. Simple.