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Google Duo Video Chat App Arrives On iOS and Android With End-to-end Encryption (betanews.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Video chat should be simple, but it is not. The biggest issue is fragmentation. On iOS, for instance, Facetime is a wonderfully easy solution, but there is no Android client. While there are plenty of cross-platform third-party options to solve this, they aren't always elegant. Skype is a good example of an app that should bridge the gap, but ends up being buggy and clunky. Google is aiming to solve this dilemma with its 'Duo' video chat app. With it, the search giant is putting a heavy focus on ease of use. The offering is available for both Android and iOS -- the only two mobile platforms that matter (sorry, Windows 10 Mobile). Announced three months ago, it finally sees release today. There is no news about the Allo chat sister-app, sadly.
Video chat should be simple, but it is not.
Seen from a historical perspective, video chat is frankly miraculous, and it's amazing that it works at all. But sure, okay. I can be jaded and take things for granted with the best of them.
The biggest issue is fragmentation... Facetime... third-party options... Skype.
Okay, so your thesis is that there are too many competing, non-standardized solutions. Cool, I'll buy that. How can we solve this dilemma? With some sort of open, universal standard that can be agreed upon, however grudgingly, by the major players?
Google is aiming to solve this dilemma with its 'Duo' video chat app.
Uh. Won't that just mean more fragmentation? And therefore, by your own logic, doesn't that just make the problem worse?
Does not work on tablets, iPad or desktop because it is phone number based. :-(