(Image source: BriefMobile )


BY EVAN THOMAS
 

If you wish you could talk to your Android phone without sounding like a machine, you’re in luck. TechCrunch reports Google is planning some major upgrades to its voice controls for Android.

It’s speculated this upgrade is the project Google was calling “Majel” for a while. According to the report, Google’s putting a lot of development muscle behind it. Assistant, as it’s now called, could be shaping up to take on Siri... and win.

“Google has had the in-house voice technology for ages… But ‘Assistant’ is set to go beyond Siri in many ways, most importantly in that the search company will retain complete control of all the layers involved.”

Siri and Android’s Voice Actions can both handle constructed prompts , like “navigate to a location,” or “call John at home.” But Siri understands context, and natural-language questions. The Verge reports Google’s aiming to do that, and more . What Google knows about you, Assistant will know, too.

“Google would control all of the elements that make the service run: knowledge would come from [the] company’s search engine, and personalized results and analysis would come from data mined from services like Google+.”

PCWorld says Apple won’t be able to match that level of software integration .

“The beauty of using an Android phone, however, is that Google products simply work better on its own OS compared with on an iPhone. One can only imagine that as Google consolidates individual user data from across its products it will soon be able to better know how it can help you, privacy concerns notwithstanding.”

And Electronista reports the integration might go further than just Google’s own products .

“Rather than keep it close to the vest as Apple has so far, Google would make a developer API (programming interface) to let app writers build Assistant into their own titles.”

It’s a bright future , says CNET. But there are some things even Google won’t be able to do for you.

“…a mobile, voice-centered ‘do engine’ that goes beyond just finding you search results and actually helps you achieve real-life goals. There aren’t any examples of real-life goals given, but we’re guessing if you want to lose weight you’ll still have to put in some of the effort yourself.”

Google doesn’t have an official release planned yet, but TechCrunch reports Assistant could show up on phones by late this year.