On all of these new additions, the button works the same way. A single press launches the assistant, while double-tapping it gives you a visual snapshot of your day. A press-and-hold will turn it into a sort of walkie-talkie that will keep listening for commands until you let go.

There's no hiding why Google is pushing for this button: it's all about winning the AI assistant wars. The easier the access to Google Assistant, the more likely you might be to use it over Amazon's Alexa and other rivals. That, in turn, might persuade you to buy Assistant-equipped smart devices and keep you glued to Google's ecosystem.