Google rolled out version 4.5.26 of its beta Google app last night. The app usually displayed the familiar Google Now screen, as well as search functionality, which includes cards based on your interests. However, users have noted that all references to "Google Now" bar one have been removed from the new app.
Left: old, right: new (as of 9/20 on Search beta app)
Google Now cards have been renamed to "Feed," and Now On Tap is now referred to as "Screen search." However, given Google assistant's forthcoming launch, announced in May it's hardly surprising. The only surviving reference to Google Now, as noted by Android Police, can be found by hitting the three-dot menu on a card which still provides the "Customize Google Now" option on the resulting dialog. This is most likely an oversight on the part of the developers and we fully expect it to be removed by the time the app rolls out to all Android users.
Google is gearing up for an event on October 4 where it is expected to announce two new handsets believed to be called the Pixel and Pixel XL, bringing them under the same brand as the company's Pixel C Android tablet, and aligning with its Chromebook Pixel devices.
But that's not all. Google is also likely to show off its new Daydream virtual reality headset - possibly called the Daydream View - as it prepares to push deeper into the VR space; a new Chromecast with support for 4K/Ultra HD video is expected as well. All of these announcements could also tie in with a rebranding from Google Now to Google Assistant.
Source & Images: Android Police
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