Google Assistant to bid goodbye to phones this month, here’s what this ‘end of an era’ means for users

For nearly a decade, a simple “Hey Google” or “Okay Google” were the reliable digital spoken bridge between millions of users and their smartphones as well as other Android-powered devices. Whether setting a reminder, calling a contact on speakerphone while cooking or turning off the living room lights, Google Assistant functioned as a workhorse. It was not meant to be conversational or creative; it was built to obey narrow, explicit instructions without overthinking them.

That personal digital assistant is going, or rather being replaced by a better-equipped skillset, including predictability.