Google has announced a new one-to-one video calling app for iOS and Android called Duo, which the company says aims to take the complexity and frustration out of video calling.
Users of Duo sign into the app using just their phone number and Google then sends them a confirmation text. After that, users can video call anyone in their contacts list who also have Duo installed.
Google says Duo is built to be fast and reliable, so that video calls connect quickly and work well even on slower networks.
Call quality adjusts to changing network conditions to keep you connected — when bandwidth is limited, Duo will gracefully reduce the resolution to keep the call going smoothly. For video calls on the go, Duo will switch between Wi-Fi and cellular data automatically without dropping your call. You can start your call at home, and continue seamlessly even when you head out the door.
Apart from its simplicity, Google is heavily hyping a feature (currently limited to Android) called "Knock, Knock", where a known caller's live video can be transmitted before the receiver has answered, allowing them to reveal things on the screen to entice the person to accept the connection.
Once they do so, the video continues seamlessly, which makes video calling "more spontaneous and welcoming, helping you connect with the person before you even pick up," says Google. The company has made no mention about whether the feature will be coming to iOS - and even if it did, users would have to unlock their iPhone first before taking a call.
Google notes that Duo isn't a replacement for its other video calling app, Hangouts, which it hopes will appeal more to enterprise users as the service is further integrated into the Google Apps suite.
Google Duo is a free download that should be available on the App Store for iPhone sometime today. [Direct Link]
Top Rated Comments
However initiating a call is difficult for my parents. Dad uses iPhone and likes the simplicity of FaceTime.
Google is trying to do that for everyone with this app. Hangouts will still exist for those that use it, this can't replace Hangouts since it's completely one on one video.
[doublepost=1471348749][/doublepost]On Android it isn't available yet either, Google usually does slow rollouts even on their Play Store such that some users will see it on the store before others.
[doublepost=1471348886][/doublepost]Knock knock isn't just for people wanting to tease their SO.
If I'm getting a video call I SHOULD be able to see who is calling before I answer. The description in MR's post has the wrong focus. It isn't so the caller can tease the recipient, it's so the recipient can see who is calling before they answer.
Yes the caller's name shows up too but it's just an additional way for you to know who it is; and what if someone else is actually using the caller's phone?
[doublepost=1471349005][/doublepost]Except this isn't a chat app to compete with Hangouts, it serves a different purpose compared with Hangouts.
Now Allo seems dumb, and your XKCD definitely applies to that. But again it seems Hangouts will get swallowed up by Google Apps and this is for these are for the average consumers.
[doublepost=1471349110][/doublepost]You make your life seem so sad.
1) It's limited to Apple devices
2) Has very, very poor performance on low bandwidth