With Assistant, Google is becoming a lot more like Apple

Google may have finally taken control of its hardware with the new Pixel phones, but the company's still focusing on software. The AI-powered Assistant is an integral part of its new phones, Allo messaging app and smart speaker, making for a more uniform and useful experience across all of Google's (and other brands') devices. If that sounds familiar, it's because Apple brought Siri to multiple platforms first. Assistant brings voice control to the new Google Home smart speaker, in addition to the new Pixels, and lets you control your Chromecast playback with your voice. The goal, said the company's CEO Sundar Pichai, is to make Assistant "universally available."