Starting today, Google is rolling out it's Artificial Intelligence assistant, called the Google Assistant, to a huge chunk of Android phones. Earlier this week, Google had announced that the Google Assistant would be coming to all the phones running Android Marshmallow 6.0 and above.
The Assistant will roll out with the latest Google Play services update. It requires a minimum 1.5 GB of RAM and a 720p screen, as well as a phone that is running on the Android Marshmallow at least. According to the latest data released by Google, over 32 percent of Android devices in the world are running Android Marshmallow 6.0 and above.
The Assistant was announced in May last year at the Google IO developer conference. It was introduced into the messaging app Allo in August and in Pixel phones in October. At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last week, Google announced the Assistant's integration in a clutch of phones, including the LG G6 and Nokia 6. It is being rolled out to English-speaking users first.
In what could be viewed as a war of AI assistants, the Google Assistant is competing with Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa. At the annual consumer trade-show CES, held in Las Vegas in January, Amazon showcased the Alexa, integrated in gadgets such as smartphones, refrigerators, and speakers.