Why Google Allo can be the end of WhatsApp as we know it

Allo is Google's new instant messaging application that challenges the mega-giants like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

As of now, it might seem like an overstretch to compare both, as Allo's mere ten thousand downloads on Play Store is a fraction of Whatsapp's massive user base of 1 billion. But Google has the resources and data to give WhatsApp a run for their money.

Why is Allo a direct threat to WhatsApp?

Allo is owned by Google and WhatsApp by Facebook, both prime players in their own game. On one hand Facebook dominates the social network domain which gives them an edge with reachability. And, on the other hand, Google has access to immeasurable search engine data. The only disadvantage for Google at this point and time is Allo's late start, which Google plans to compensate with its new AI-powered interface.

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Is it an immediate threat?

No, considering the wide chasm between the user base of both applications, WhatsApp is far up the ladder. Machine learning, which is centric to Allo's AI-generated features, needs time to evolve into a much more refined technology.

What does Allo give the user that WhatsApp can't?

In terms of features, Allo is much closer to Messenger than WhatsApp but what makes it a threat to both is the ease of logging in. Similar to WhatsApp, the user just needs one mobile number to activate an account on Allo. Google did away with Gmail synchronization after its not-so-successful attempt at  Hangouts and G-chat in the past.
Another major factor that works in favor of Allo is Google Assistant. The AI within the app is prompt with contextual search results and assuming that this assistant will only grow better with every interaction, we can expect far more use of this feature in future.

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