14 DAY TRIAL // Google and Microsoft are competing against each other in a wide variety of product categories, and digital assistants is one of the newest, with both companies working hard on making their technologies available on a larger array of devices.
Microsoft was one of the first to bring digital assistant Cortana beyond the phone, and the software giant is now trying to explore two new markets as well, including not only computers but also fridges and even cars.
And Google obviously can’t stay out of this business, so the search firm announced at CES that it’s bringing the Google Assistant, first launched on the Google Home device, on TVs, in-car entertainment systems, and Android Wear smartwatches.
No target date for Assistant on watches
As soon as this happens, users should be able to control their devices with voice commands just like is the case right now on the Google Home, so your TV, for instance, should be able to start whenever you say “OK, Google.” Other commands on Android TVs will also be supported in order to play and discover content, and get answers after searching online for information.
“In the coming months, the Google Assistant on Android TV will come to the NVIDIA SHIELD, along with all Android TVs in the US running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or Android 7.0 Nougat, such as the AirTV Player, Sharp Aquos, Sony Bravia, Xiaomi Mi Box, and more. And once available, the NVIDIA SHIELD will be the first TV device to offer a hands-free Assistant experience,” Google says.
Google does not have a target date for the release of Assistant on Android Wear smartwatches or in-car infotainment systems, but it says that this will happen “over time.”
Competition in the digital assistant market is getting fiercer with every new day, as Microsoft and Google are not the only companies trying to benefit from growing demand here. Amazon and Apple are also investing heavily in improving assistants and making them more widely available.