Google Duo is like FaceTime but more joy – Aug
Google Duo is like FaceTime but more joy
The company launched a free fresh movie calling service called Duo on Tuesday that’s not unlike Apple ( AAPL , Tech30) ‘s native movie calling app. But it comes with a few bells and whistles to help the app stand out.
The name Duo comes from Google’s desire to concentrate on one-to-one movie calling. That’s why there is no group calling function — something Google Hangouts originally made famous.
But Duo permits users to make calls inbetween iOS and Android devices — something FaceTime can’t do. It also excels in a few other areas, such as its user interface and the overall quality of calls.
Let’s take a closer look at the fresh app.
See yourself (and the other person) before the call embarks
Google Duo lets people see who’s calling them before they react.
Duo opens with a split-screen view of your front-facing camera and a group of recently dialed contacts — it lets you see what you look like even before you place a call.
This is significant because as soon as you dial a contact’s number, they’ll get a sneak peek of you in real time, even if they determine not to response. Google ( GOOG ) calls this optional feature "Knock Knock," and it acts like a digital peephole.
Knock Knock intends to give the receiver time to prep before picking up. Albeit Android users will be able to see this movie preview on the lock screen, iPhone users will have to tap "Preview" very first or be in the app.
Take up to a minute to pick up
Not sure if you want to pick up or are in another room? Duo will ring your phone for up to a minute before it gives up. When we tested this, FaceTime rang a recipient for about half that time.
Give the caller your undivided attention
Duo promises a more crisp practice than other movie messaging platforms, and during CNNMoney’s testing of the app over a cellular connection, it delivered on those claims.
Google’s app also puts less emphasis on you during calls, so it’s lighter to pay more attention to the other person. Duo shrinks the selfie view and docks it on the bottom left corner of the screen. When using FaceTime, we had a greater tendency to look at ourselves via the selfie screen, which was more prominently placed in the top right corner.
There are other features that reinforce providing the other person undivided attention, too. For example, there’s no way to pick up another call if one comes through. Instead, Google sends them a message telling you’re unavailable. When you’ve draped up, you’ll get a notification highlighting the missed call.
While this might be inconvenient if you’re expecting another call, it’s nice to know you can’t be interrupted.
Once a talk is underway, the Duo vs. FaceTime practices are more similar. Like FaceTime, Duo only has three options: mute audio, switch inbetween front- and back-facing cameras, and ending the call.
There are no stickers, doodling options or extra messaging features compared to what’s available on Snapchat. You won’t find a time stamp either that indicates how long a call has been going on, even after you suspend up.
The lack of a time stamp may seem like a random omission, but Google says it is a part of the company’s plan to make Duo as plain as possible. The team was "almost maniacal" about that aim, Nick Fox, Google’s VP of Communications Products, told CNNMoney last week.
"We think lack of clutter is significant," said Fox.
Switch inbetween Wi-Fi and cellular connections
Google also says it spent a lot of time figuring out how to reduce the number of dropped movie calls.
The app adjusts movie quality depending on network speeds and can transition from Wi-Fi to cellular connections without disconnecting conversations. We were able to do so with ease, but it’s key to note the movie portion pauses until the transition is set.
Duo was one of two fresh messaging services announced earlier this year at Google’s developer conference. The 2nd — Allo, a dedicated text messaging app — is expected to launch in a few weeks.
"We think of them kind of as companion apps," Fox said. "We thought we could build the best movie calling app by focusing only on movie."