Google Duo is literally the Android equivalent of FaceTime. The video-calling app even ships with a lot of phones including those from Samsung out of the box, allowing users to talk and see their loved ones. Now, a new report says Google has plans to phase out the app in a few years in favor of Meet.

First reported by 9to5Google, the head of Google’s G Suites services, Javier Soltero, wants to merge both Duo and Meet under an initiative currently known as Duet (formed from the first two letters in Duo and the last two in Meet). The result will be an integration of some of Duo’s features into Meet including end-to-end encryption, 3D effects, and the ability to reach a contact via their phone number.

The aforementioned tech blog revealed that sources informed them that interest in Duo has waned while Meet has seen a significant increase in adoption which is not surprising seeing as schools and workplaces have adopted the latter for communication while Duo is more personal and unofficial. The plan to merge both means that Google will be able to focus on just one video-calling app.

The merger is not happening soon but has been reported to happen over the next few years. Google commented on the matter, saying it is fully invested in Duo and added that they have seen astonishing growth (with the app) during the pandemic. The statement said new features will continue to be built for the app. It also confirmed that Duo is now under the leadership of Javier Soltero, a move that was carried out in May, and that they are “looking at ways that their video calling apps can improve alongside one another.”

What do you think of Google’s plan to merge Duo and Meet? Share your thoughts with us in the comment box below.

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Following the popularity of communication apps such as Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Hangouts, Duo, Skype, and FaceTime, which all allow users to call their contacts without leaving the app, the percentage of traditional calls have tanked. An analyst at Oppenheimer, Tim Horan thinks that by the time more players get into the space of app-based voice communication, people might not need regular phone numbers anymore.

Horan believes that the emergence of more players will see phone numbers replaced by profiles and names as already offered by apps like Skype and Facebook Messenger. This development will lead telecommunication companies to start offering packages that bundle voice, messaging, and video for their business customers.

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According to Horan, he expects Amazon to launch a unified communications offering next year. Amazon’s acquisition of companies like Biba, an online conferencing and video company; and Twitch, the live streaming video platform for gamers point at a possible entry into the communication scene and there is a chance that companies which use its Amazon Web Services will be open to try out its communication services too.

The post The Days of Phone Numbers are Numbered Following The Popularity of Communication Apps Says Analyst appeared first on Gizmochina.