Google Assistant headphones revealed in code

It isn't all that often we get excited about an update to Android's standard Google app, but on this day of extraterrestrial happenings, we're shaking things up a bit. A beta version of the Google app – version 7.10 to be precise – has landed, and a teardown of the APK reveals something very interesting. As it turns out, Google may be plotting a pair of headphones that run Google Assistant.

As explained by the folks over at 9to5Google, we now know that "Bisto" is the codename for these Google Assistant headphones. Such headphones have been rumored here and there for quite some time, but this is pretty solid evidence for their existence. The code in the APK gives us an early idea of some of the features these headphones will have if they ever actually arrive.

According to 9to5Google's teardown, the code within the APK refers to a message that users will see when they pair their headphones with their device: "Your headphones have the Google Assistant. Ask it questions. Tell it to do things. It's your own personal Google, always ready to help." It sounds like Google Assistant will have all of its standard talents when used through these headphones, though it may also have some extra abilities as well.

For instance, the code lurking within the Google app suggests that these headphones will let users hear their notifications and reply to them with voice. It also refers to physical control buttons on the headphones themselves, along with their ability to receive OTA updates. It's fairly standard stuff, but regardless, it gives us a glimpse into a product that could be incoming.

As always, just because references are found lurking in code, it doesn't necessarily mean that Google Assistant headphones are a sure thing. They won't be a sure thing until Google officially unveils them, so until that happens, you probably shouldn't get your hopes up. With that out of the way, it does make some degree of sense that Google would release such a product, especially if it's trying to show that its own AI assistant is better than Apple's Siri.

The good news is that if Google is planning to announce a pair of Google Assistant headphones, we probably aren't that far off from a reveal. It stands to reason that Google would announce them alongside the Pixel 2, so we could know more about them in the next month or two. Stay tuned, because this is an interesting find that will hopefully be followed by a reveal soon.