Rumors surrounding LG’s new flagship phone has begun to pick up momentum. With very little time left until its release, the company is supposedly in talks with having Google Assistant on the phone as well as Amazon’s Alexa.
According to CNET, the G6 is going to be a pretty beefily spec’d device, especially in the backdrop of talks with Google to form a partnership which will enable LG to use Google Assistant on their device, making it the first third-party handset to feature the popular AI assistant.
Also, because LG has used Alexa on a number of its other smart devices, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it integrated here as well, with Google Assistant in tow. Huawei already took its chance and went the Alexa way, so LG could take second place for adopting a new AI assistant. With so much brains under the hood, the phone might develop its own conscious if we’re not too careful.
The probability of having Google’s new AI powering the handset seems like a high possibility, since word is spreading that LG’s new smartwatches will also feature Google Assistant on its Android Wear-based gadgets. Those will be arriving in the next month.
It’s highly unlikely that LG would feature two different AI assistants in one device, since it would conflict with the functionality and the whole ecosystem that both offer. Then again, it’s not really a bad proposition. A very large number of smart devices have Alexa built into them, so it wouldn’t be a big deal. We’ll only really know LG’s decision when they announce their new G6 flagship during the Mobile World Congress, where it’s expected to be released.
Once it is out however, it’ll compete with the likes of the Huawei Mate 9 and the Pixels. Even when the new Galaxy S8 comes out, it’ll have its AI to contend with. LG has always delivered on the innovation front, despite having mixed receptions most of the time. Although LG’s flagships have outshone the competition on numerous occasions, they’ve fallen behind over the past few generations.
Here’s hoping that this year, LG actually does outdo its competition.