Does the world need another messaging app? Google
says yes. And it believes its Allo messaging app is different enough to compete
against Apple's iMessage, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and all the rest.That's because it's
the first to include Google Assistant, which I can only describe as a mega
chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to bring you answers in a
conversational manner.
Available as a free
download today on Android and iOS, Allo was first introduced during Google I/O in conjunction with Google's
web-calling app Duo (which, since launching a month ago,
has now reached 10 million downloads on Android).
Though it sends and
receives messages as well as the others, Allo has its own promising features
that I found useful. Read on to see what makes Allo stand out and if it has
what it takes to be your new chat app.
The Good Google Allo is available on both
Android and iOS, and features a digital Assistant that fetches information for
you in a conversational way. Its Incognito Mode erases conversations and has
end-to-end encryption.
The Bad Allo doesn't integrate video calling, and it doesn't
have as many features as its competitors, like baked-in GIF support or control
over read receipts.
The Bottom Line It's not a perfect
communications app on Day 1, but the integrated, all-knowing Google Assistant
bot sets Allo apart from the messaging competition.
Google Assistant: The ultimate bot
Allo's standout
feature is Google Assistant, which is basically a bot you can chat with that
uses Google's vast search database to answer several kinds of questions you
throw its way. For example, you can type, "Cafes nearby?" and it will
find popular coffee shops in your area (just make sure you have location turned
on). You can ask it to translate phrases in different languages, show your
latest emails, look up airfare prices and other common queries.
No comments:
Post a Comment