Google Working on Assistant-Powered Smart Headphones, App Code Hints: Report

Google wants its smart, virtual assistant to be everywhere. It is already living inside over a 100 million devices, but Google wants to make the most of its artificial intelligence. In a bid to compete against Apple's AirPods, Google could be working on its own smart headphones, if a recent report is to be believed.

The Google app for Android has hidden a code that references headphones that support Google Assistant, 9to5Google has found. Mentions of the headphones, codenamed Bisto, was found within Google app version 7.10. This isn't the first time 'Bisto' has been spotted. In April, the codename was seen inside version 7.0.6 and was then presumed to hint at an Android One phone.

This time around, the source was found suggesting that Bisto refers to some sort of smart headphones that support Assistant, according to a description within the app that reads, "Your headphones have the Google Assistant. Ask it questions. Tell it to do things. It's your own personal Google, always ready to help."

Additional lines in the app provide some more information about the headphones. Apart from giving commands through Google Assistant, the device will be able to hear incoming notifications and read them aloud. Another line also suggests that they may not look similar to the AirPods. Instead, they may be over-the-ear headphones with hardware buttons including a dedicated one for Google Assistant. The report also found a setup process as well as the ability for the headphones to receive OTA updates.

This is all that is known about the alleged Google headphones and there's no confirmation on Google's part about the same. It is possible that the headphone could be revealed at Google's next hardware event when it will reveal its next Pixel lineup of phones as well as a possible new Chromebook Pixel and mini Google Home smart speaker.