[APK Teardown] Google App 7.21 reveals future Pixel device with dedicated Assistant Button

APK teardown is reliable, easy and resourceful way of accessing informations that are currently unknown. For that reason, most of the developers go for teardown, perhaps even before installing a newly released version of the concerned app. In latest, certain folks over the popular Android community forum, XDA had put the latest Google App 7.21 under the knife.  As it should be, some interesting things are deciphered by this commit.

Google App 7.21 Teardown Revealings

Most importantly, the Google app hints at a future Pixel device which possess a dedicated physical button for summoning the suave Google Assistant. Certain strings that we’ve provided below unearthed this possibility. Probably, Google might be experimenting the device in its warehouse.

<string name="opa_hardware_button_training_continue">Continue</string>
<string name="opa_hardware_button_training_desc_fallback">Tap the Assistant button to launch it at any time</string>
<string name="opa_hardware_button_training_switch_title">Add the Google Assistant to your homescreen.</string>
<string name="opa_hardware_button_training_title">Your Assistant is a tap away</string

Since most of the new-gen devices are bezel-less there is no chance of placing the assistant button in front of the device. The plausible placement will be on the side similar to the Bixby key seen in Samsung flagships. If that happens to be true, the question here is whether a dedicated button is really needed? Granted, there are three or four different ways to trigger the assistant currently on Pixel devices.

Apart from the purported Pixel device, the teardown suggest possibility of following add-ons in near future.

• Option for Choosing a Default Speaker or TV for Media Output: It’ll prove helpful in choosing your preferred audio device.

  <string name="audio_output_preference_summary">Choose a default speaker for music and audio</string>
  <string name="audio_output_preference_title">Default music speaker</string>
  <string name="bisto_device_generic_oem_partner_app_setting_title">%1$s App</string>
  <string name="media_output_preference_summary">Choose a device</string>
  <string name="media_output_preference_title">Default media output</string>
  <string name="video_output_preference_summary">Choose a default TV for playing video</string>
  <string name="video_output_preference_title">Default TV</string>

• Better Personalization of the Google Feed: Google App may add a new way to represent our interests or dislikes in a story.

  <string name="reaction_show_more">"Got it. We'll tune your feed"</string>
  <string name="reaction_text_less">Less</string>
  <string name="reaction_text_more">More</string>
  <string name="reaction_we_will_show_less_of_this">"We'll show less of this"</string>
  <string name="recents_result_separate_group_header">Recent</string>

• Shopping with a Smart Display: The rumored Google Assistant integrated Smart Displays will have a potential to purchase or order items from retailers and services. Simply, we could shop online by feeding voice commands to the Smart Displays.

  <string name="quartz_order_change_order">Change</string>
  <string name="quartz_order_item_count_icu">{count, plural, =0{No Items} =1{One Item} other{# Items}}</string>
  <string name="quartz_order_place_order">Place order</string>
  <string name="quartz_order_total_format">Total %1$s</string>
  <string name="quartz_shopping_cart_checkout_button_text">Checkout</string>
  <string name="quartz_shopping_cart_item_quantity">Qty %s</string>
  <string name="quartz_shopping_cart_size_label">items</string>
  <string name="quartz_shopping_cart_subtotal_label">subtotal</string>
  <string name="quartz_zero_state_explore_suggestion">Explore</string>

Reiterating that the above findings are as a result of teardown and hence you cannot find them after installing the app. Since, these features are currently unimplemented in the live build and may be pulled at any time by Google in a future build. Apparantly, the aforementioned features may or may not be a part of the future releases.

Download

Google App: Play Store.