We’ve been waiting for Google tonight on many topics: virtual reality, the future of the operating system, Project Tango… But the Google I/O 2016 conference will surprise us and it will be even better.
The biggest surprise for now will undoubtedly be the new instant chat app: Google Allo. Designed to succeed an aging Hangout, it is sure to frighten all competitors in this very special scene, especially WhatsApp, whose alternatives are advancing at full speed.
This includes some of the best ideas of recent years (like the phone number in the description) and more: specifically, holding down the mail button naturally changes the size of the characters, allowing to send a message by shouting or whispering.
But even more, it incorporates all the features of the new Google Assistant to let you react naturally to the content of your messages and search for information directly on the platform. It can even predict your next reply, for example, by directly analyzing a photo sent to you.
And finally, it lets you enable end-to-end encryption on the entire conversation and even launch a “private browsing mode” that lets you send temporary messages like Snapchat. Everything is concentrated here in a clear and intuitive interface with emojis drawn by creators around the world.
Wouldn’t he miss calls? For that, Duo will take care of it and let you make video calls with end-to-end encryption on iOS and Android. What’s cool is that, thanks to a system called “Knock Knock”, you’ll be able to see a small video preview of your caller with every call.
It’s an app that promises to be Google’s most engaging app in a long time, that looks as fun to use as it is powerful. It’s scheduled to launch in the summer of 2016, so there’s no longer a long wait to be able to test it.
