After several big leaks, Google finally unveiled headphones with Google Assistant built-in this week. That functionality is debuting on the Bose QC35 II, but Google hasn’t done a good job advertising why this feature is worth buying into. Now, a Googler has given his two cents on the topic.
We’ve been hearing a lot about Google’s so-called ‘bisto’ category of devices in the past few weeks. Just the other day we exclusively revealed that the Bose QuietComfort 35 II will be the first Google Assistant-powered headphones, and now we’ve learned a release date.
Since our exclusive on Thursday that revealed the forthcoming Bose QuietComfort 35 II, a number of other leaks — like retail packaging that featured “Google Assistant built-in” branding — have confirmed our reporting. Yesterday, one person even found the QC35 II already stocked at Best Buy.
Update: The video that offered a clear look at the QuietComfort II with Google Assistant was removed from YouTube earlier today.
We’ve learned a great deal about Google’s plans for smart headphones over the last several months through app teardowns, and Google itself slipped-up recently by adding Headphones to its support website (and then quickly removed it). Today, we can confirm that the rumored successor to the Bose QuietComfort 35 will be one of the first pair of headphones to feature the Google Assistant.
Over the last month or so, we’ve seen an increase in the number of references to Bisto within Google’s applications. These references have shown us the potential internal code names for the different models being developed as well as photos of possible form factors and features.
What sorts of features do you hope Google brings to the ‘Bisto’ smart headphones?
Over the weekend, we spotted a new “Headphones” product listed on Google’s main support site that possibly hints at the consumer name for “Bisto.” With increasing frequency in recent weeks, we have learned a great deal more about this new product category from Google.
A GIF we previously uncovered suggested an over-the-ear design, but a new image we discovered today possibly provides our first look at one of the upcoming models.
Over the past several weeks, we have learned a great deal about headphones featuring Google Assistant codenamed “Bisto.” So far, all of the evidence comes from teardowns, but today we have our first non-Google app reference to these upcoming devices. Earlier this week, a new “Headphones” product category was added to the Google support site.
Thanks to last week’s Google app teardown, we gained a much clearer understanding of “Bisto,” its features, and how they function. These Google Assistant-running Bluetooth headphones will likely adopt an OEM model, with one possible form factor featuring an over-the-ear design.
Another look at the strings suggests that three devices are in the works and reveal their possible codenames.
The latest beta of the Google app on Monday yielded a wealth of information about “Bisto.” First encountered in April as a new device type possibly related to headphones, this teardown confirmed it and detailed features, functionality, and operation.
The latest beta of the Google app rolled out last night and brings along with it a number of new strings. Announced at I/O, there are more references to making calls through Google Home. There are also mentions to the proactive notifications that are coming to the device later this year.
We told you a couple weeks ago that Google added some mysterious references to a device type called ‘Bisto’ in the beta 7.0 version of the Google app, and those stuck around even with the couple of minor updates that were pushed out since then. Today, however, with version 7.1.21.21, we can confirm that Google has indeed removed all reference to ‘Bisto’…