There isn’t any shortage of virtual assistant apps these days. We have the popular and the almost unknown. But that doesn’t seem to stop new players from trying to get ahead in that genre. In this case, it looks like US-based Android users now have another option to consider. The app is called Sherpa Virtual Assistant and while new here, it has apparently been a top app in Spain and Latin America.
Basically, that is to say that while the app is new for those in the US, it is not a new app. Of course, we are still seeing Sherpa launch with a beta tag attached. That aside though, Sherpa is available by way of the Google Play Store (using this link) and will run on devices with Android 2.2 or later. Another point that Sherpa has in its favor is the price — free. It is also worth mentioning that Sherpa will run on a smartphone or a tablet.
Given this is a virtual assistant app you can likely guess some of the features. Sherpa touts itself as being able to answer questions “10 times faster than other assistants.” In our brief hands-on with the app, it was smooth and quick, but we cannot necessarily say that it is actually 10 times faster. Still, Sherpa does have a good looking interface and is easy to get set up and easy to use. Upon launching the app you can either begin typing or talking. Sherpa also has a few available widgets (which you can see in the screenshot below).
Otherwise, the features include items such as simple web searches to being able to play music. You can also use Sherpa to find and navigate to a local business, check sports scores, get a weather forecast, manage your calendar, make calls, send text messages and more. Sherpa can also open apps on your device and even transfer money on PayPal with a simple command.
[via CNET]
I was able to download it from Canada as well – no sideload required.