Google Announces Two Big Updates to Android Phones

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Update: The expansion of Google Assistant to more Android phones (including existing ones) has started. Read more in the updated article below.

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If you’re an Android fan, you’ll be glad to know about two new updates to Android that Google just announced. If you’re not an Android fan, these updates may sway you to become one.

The competition between Android and iPhone seems to be heating up and we the consumers are the winners. Both Google and Apple are trying to make the most of their operating systems for phones by offering more features.

Google’s recent announcements about updates to Android will make those phones more powerful, with new features that should come in handy.

Google Assistant Comes to More Phones

Google Assistant is Google’s digital assistant that performs tasks given by voice commands, similar to Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa. Since Google Assistant was launched in October, the service has only been available on Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL phones, Google Home smart speaker, Android Wear smart watches, and the Allo messaging app.

Google announced that many more phones can now get Google Assistant. The update including Google Assistant is available to phones running Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) and 7.0 (Nougat) and made by HTC, Huawei, LG, Samsung, and Sony.

Now rolling out to more @Android phones, it’s time to meet your #GoogleAssistant → https://t.co/tu9bGCgo7F pic.twitter.com/aeWdgBTJH1

— Google (@Google) March 2, 2017

The update has arrived for English speakers in the US and will come soon for those in the UK, Canada and Australia. German speakers in Germany should also get the update soon. Additional languages will be added during 2017.

To receive the update, make sure you have an eligible phone and have downloaded the Google Play Services app onto the phone.

[note]Don’t miss Siri vs. Google Assistant — Which Is Best for You? [Infographic] [/note]

After the update you can press on the home button or say, “OK Google” to begin using Google Assistant. Then start asking questions such as, “What is the weather forecast?” and Google Assistant will answer based on your current location.

In its announcement yesterday, Google said, “Our goal is to make the Assistant available anywhere you need it.” In January the company announced plans to expand Google Assistant to TVs and cars later this year.

See Google Assistant and Alexa talking in an endless loop:

New Android Message App

Google also announced a major update to its primary messaging app. With this update, the app will change its name from Android Messenger to Android Messages.

Android Messages will become the default text messaging app for Android phones. This app will be pre-installed on Android phones from manufacturers such as LG, Motorola, Sony, HTC, ZTE, Micromax, Nokia, Archos, BQ, Cherry Mobile, Condor, Fly, General Mobile, Lanix, LeEco, Lava, Kyocera, MyPhone, QMobile, Symphony and Wiko. Android Messages will also come loaded onto Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL phones.

Users of other phones can download the Android Messages app from the Google Play store.

Noticeably absent is Samsung which isn’t included in the list for phones getting the Android Messages app pre-installed.

Android Messages is one of three messaging apps from Google. The others are Allo and Google Hangouts.

A future update to the Android Messages app will make text messages more powerful by changing from SMS (Short Messaging Services) to RCS (Rich Communications Services). When updated to RCS, Android Messages will offer features such as stickers, receipts that show when a message has been read, high resolution photos, maps and more.

RCS messages on Android Messages will be available on phones from partner cell phone service providers. Google’s announcement stated that these partner cell phone providers include Sprint (US), Rogers (Canada), Telenor (Europe and Asia), Orange (multinational), Deutsche Telekom (multinational), Vodafone (10 markets), and Globe (Philippines).

These features will only be available for messages sent and received within the Android Messages app. Those who don’t use the app, such as iPhone owners, won’t share in those features. (iPhone owners do have these features in iMessage though.)

Android Messages RCS Interactive Features

Google is taking Android Messages a step further and partnering with companies to add helpful interactive features to their RCS text messages. In the announcement, Google gave the example of an airline that could send a passenger a text “to provide a full check-in experience, complete with boarding pass, visual flight updates, and terminal maps on demand.” Businesses could also include videos and GIFs in their Android Message texts.

Initial partners for RCS Android Messages include Virgin Trains, Walgreens, Amber Alert Europe, Baskin-Robbins, BlaBlaCar, FICO, Gamestop, G2A.com, IHG, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Naturas, Papa Murphy’s, Philips, Porto Seguro, Sky, SONIC Drive-In, Subway, Tailored Brands (Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Banks), Time Inc., and Uber.

What We Don’t Yet Know About Android Messages

Google did not announce a date when RCS on Android Messages will be available, though the name of the app has already been changed to Android Messages in the Google Play store.

We also do not know how users will be able to learn whether the person they are sending a text to has the RCS version of the Android Messages app. For example, in iMessage for iPhone, the text bubbles are blue for those who use iMessage and green for those who don’t.

=> See, iMessage: Team Blue! to learn more about iMessage.

Your Thoughts

Are you excited about the changes coming to Android phones? Which updates are you looking forward to the most? What updates would you like to see come to Android phones?

Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!