Google Duo – A review

Duo, the video calling app by Google, was announced during Google I/O 16 this May and is now available for use. The app was released recently for both Android & iOS, making it a universal calling app unlike its Apple counterpart Facetime, which requires an iOS or MacOS device to function.
It’s not that Duo is the first video calling app out there, or even the best. Video calling has been around for a decade now. There is Skype, Viber, Facebook Messenger, Facetime (iOS only) and many more already offering that service. But with an interface as simple as Duo’s, you could choose Duo for almost all one-on-one conversations. If your parents are technological novices like mine, who consider Skype and Hangouts as an insurmountable challenge, Duo is just the right app for you. Moreover, the video quality is reportedly enhanced even on a poor connection.
The app is pretty lucid, allowing you to reach people in a flash, no complexities involved. It’s no wonder the app has already reached #1 in the Play Store in many countries, beating the invincible Pokemon Go!

 

Ready to use in a moment

Initiating the app is straightforward. You agree to their terms (blindly, as always), grant some permissions, and are brought to the mobile number verification process, a check for genuine users.

google-duo_install

Once inside, you’ll see your face ready to reach your friends who have Duo installed.

Meet Knock-knock

Android users will also notice an interesting feature called “Knock-knock” which lets the receiver take a sneak peek at what’s happening on the other end even without answering the call.

Knock-Knock Feature GIF
Knock-Knock in action.

This is only for the people who are already in your contacts. If you don’t like this feature, you can always switch it off from the settings.

Seamless automatic Switching to Mobile Data

Google doesn’t want your conversations to go unfinished due to a poor connection. In a seamless transition, the app pauses the video stream to make the voice connections proper in times of poor connection.  Also, it switches to your mobile data without loss of connection to keep your talks on the go.

Verdict

Duo seems to be a clean app with one aim, to give users the best video call experience, and it definitely delivers on that promise. But this seems to be at the cost of higher functions, such as conference calls and screen sharing, which is standard fare for the current video calling market leaders. It’s been reported that Google is already working on the app to add some essential elements like voice calling and a call log. In addition, a desktop client will spread the app among multiple devices.

It is a tough call to choose the best video calling service yet. But the user-friendly interface, low data consumption and cross-platform service Duo offers is something to have in your arsenal of applications.

 

-Ayush Agrawal for MTTN

 

P.S. Google uploaded some cool videos on their YouTube channel with Duo-in-use. Watch out!

One thought on “Google Duo – A review

Add yours

Leave a Reply

Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: Baskerville 2 by Anders Noren.

Up ↑