Earlier this year, Google introduced Duplex, a feature that'll let you use the Google Assistant to call a place and make a reservation on your behalf. That feature was previously only available to a select group of trusted testers, but it's now expanding a bit more widely.
Google has confirmed that it's now made Duplex available to a "small group" of Google Pixel smartphone owners in "select cities". That's all that Google has said about the rollout right now, but the company previously named New York, Atlanta, Phoenix, and San Francisco at test markets.
"We’re currently ramping up the ability to book restaurant reservations through the Google Assistant over the phone using Duplex technology,” Google said to VentureBeat. “To help deliver a good experience to Pixel users and to businesses, we’re starting with a slow rollout … and will expand to more Pixel users as we continue to ramp up.”
Luckily, the folks at VentureBeat were lucky enough to have a Pixel phone that's been included in this Duplex testing. The feature works by you telling Google Assistant that you'd like to make a reservation, and you can add a particular neighborhood if you'd like. You'll then get a list of restaurants to choose from, and Google Assistant will ask you for info like the size of your party, the time you'd like, and if another timeframe works if your chosen one is unavailable. Google Assistant then says it'll attempt to call and update you after.
You can watch a video that shows what a Google Duplex call is like for the person on the receiving end right here.
If you've got a Google Pixel phone and want to see if you've got Duplex, ask the Google Assistant to make you a reservation. The testing sounds pretty limited so far, but this is a major new feature that's still in early days, so it's no surprise that Google is taking its time with the rollout.
What do you think of Google Duplex? Are you excited to have the Google Assistant make appointments for you or do you have your reservations about this new feature?
