Google really wants its Assistant to be on nearly every available platform. Right now it powers the Google Home smart speaker, is on pretty much any modern Android device, and is a key feature of the Bose QuietComfort 35 II. Soon it could come to Chromebooks as well.
Google Assistant Coming Soon To Chromebooks?
There is now evidence hinting that Google is getting ready to bring Assistant functionality to Chrome OS, the proprietary operating system powering its Chromebook-branded laptops. Prior code commits already suggested Assistant was coming, but there have been no significant clues so far as to when it might be arriving. That changes now.
As 9to5Google has discovered, a direct reference to Chromebooks is quietly hidden within the Google Home app. Every Assistant-based app listed there states all the platforms it's compatible with since some Assistant apps might be compatible with phones but not with Home — or vice versa.
In the compatibility section of the Chat with your Assistant app, Chromebook is clearly listed as a compatible platform, in addition to Home, Android 6.0 phones and up, and more. Not only that, a Chromebook logo is also listed right along the ones for Home and phones, which implies this wasn't just a typo. Google might have been keeping it under wraps, though.
Google Oct. 4 Event
What does this mean? Well, expect Assistant to come to Chrome OS soon. Showing up on compatibility lists, with an icon in tow, pretty much means it's ready for prime time. Perhaps Google could officially unveil it during its Oct. 4 event, where it's rumored to unveil — apart from new Pixel smartphones — the Google Pixelbook, believed to be an updated version of the Chromebook Pixel.
But of course, if Assistant is coming, there's no assurance whether it'll be widely available from the get-go or limited to only certain versions of Chrome OS.
But this, plus a rumor suggesting Google is going to release another smart speaker to compete with the Amazon Echo Show, means the company will aggressively push to make Assistant more widespread, and in turn, more relevant and necessary. This could then expedite the development and the transition toward a truly voice-based future for consumer electronics.
At this time, while voice assistants the likes of Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant are pretty powerful and capable, it can't be said they're extreme necessities. People can live without voice-based ecosystems — for now. It's easy to imagine this changing as the technology gets riper, more seamless, and more intuitive.
