In the world’s second most populous country, Google Duo apparently is the video calling app of choice in India, over WhatsApp, Viber or other app that bring free video calling. Chinese brand OnePlus conducted this research among their users in the South Asian country and now they are making Google Duo the default video calling service of their smartphones as part of their OxygenOS update. The rollout will start for their current flagships, the OnePlus 6 and 6T and will eventually be available for their other phones too.
In the research that OnePlus carried out in India, Google Duo came out not just as the favorite but also with the highest quality when it comes to video calling. While its initial partner, messaging app Allo is now dead in the water, Duo has thrived on its own. Google has continued to invest in it and develop it for emerging markets like India, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
OnePlus meanwhile is a brand that does not believe in creating their own service but would rather just partner with the brands that their users are already using. And so now they’re making Google Duo as the official and default video calling app that those who own OnePlus devices will be using. It will be integrated across call logs, contacts, dial pad, and messaging.
This new feature will roll out with OxygenOS 9.0.12 for the OnePlus 6T and then with OxygenOS 9.0.4 for the OnePlus 6, 5, and 5T. When the OnePlus 3 and 3T finally get their Android Pie update, they will also get the Google Duo integration. But if users want to use their traditional video calling option, they will still be able to use that by going to the settings.
SOURCE: OnePlus
