Google Assistant could soon have a new look

Spotted by Reddit users (via 9to5 Google), it appears that Google is testing a new UI for Google Assistant. Instead of the white box that pops up when the virtual personal assistant is activated, a transparent overlay with the words "Hi, I’m listening" covers the bottom third of the screen. That tells you that Google Assistant is ready to hear your question or request. At the bottom of the overlay are icons for the Update page and the virtual QWERTY keyboard, with the Google Pixel light bar underneath. Once the user gives his command to Google Assiatant, or swipes up, the currently used full page in white is displayed.

Google is running a limited A/B test of the new UI, which is offered with version 9.84.10.21 of the Google app. It is unclear whether Google plans to roll this redesign out to all users, but it is interesting that no mention of this was made at Google I/O last week. It is possible that feedback generated by the A/B testing will be the final piece of the puzzle used to help Google determine whether to keep this new look for the feature.

Google Assistant is considered by many to be the top virtual helper available with Amazon's Alexa second and Apple's Siri in third. Google announced last week that the next-generation version of Assistant will be able to handle tasks up to 10 times faster than the current version. There is some bad news to current Pixel owners; the next-gen Google Assistant could be exclusive to the Pixel 4. If Google sticks to tradition, the latter will be introduced in the fourth quarter of this year.