I appreciate your view that voice interaction is not what you look for in a phone today, apart from the one exception you mention for driving. And I see that you put Google's efforts in voice interaction in the same category as Google Glass which failed with the general public. You mention that you are likely to buy an "exploding" Samsung Note 7 because of its design and features.
You may be amused to know that Samsung appears eager to follow Google's lead into AI and voice interaction. This week they bought a company called Viv Labs who were responsible for Siri on Apple phones. No doubt in my mind that this purchase puts them at odds with Google because under the contract they signed with Google to be able to access the Google Play Store, they are obliged to put Google Play Services front and centre on their Android phones. I believe that by next year Google will modify their App distribution agreement with OEMs including Samsung to incorporate Google Assistant.
Viv Labs, like Google, aims to create a highly intelligent voice based interface for third parties to connect their services---eg, Uber, Pizza Express, Nest (smart thermostats, smart carbon monoxide detectors, security video camera), Open Table, and many more services that we will probably find ourselves really liking.
I believe therefore that you are underestimating the potential for an intelligent voice based interaction to assist you at work and play, which of course significantly diminishes the physical interaction with the device. What Viv and Google appear to possess are some key attributes: they are really good at understanding natural speech and the context of previously asked questions to answer multi-part, complex questions. Also they are flexible as they can create their own AI models. This second area would be a huge leap forward as the software, which can write itself, can perform multiple tasks. If the services of Google Assistant or Viv are as intelligent as claimed, then the result could be truly amazing when third party services of the likes I mentioned above are plugged in.
Clearly Google believes that over time its Pixel phone, and its successors, can be truly differentiated from other Android phones with Google Assistant. To get to this point they have to perfect their software and overcome the kind of resistance you clearly have to this idea. Execution on a number of levels will be key to avoid a Google Glass outcome. Only when Google perfect Assistant will they share it with the Android ecosystem. At that point I will be keen to see Samsung's reaction. And by keeping Assistant only on the Pixel and Home devices for now, Google can tightly control the interaction and learn from user feedback.
I appreciate that as a Pixel owner I will be a guinea pig of sorts for Google's data collection in Assistant. I am willing to do that for the potential to improve my work and play interactions. Clearly you are not yet ready. In jest I say, neither was the man who looked askance at the first car and said that his horse was the best means of transport. Perhaps with the power of their brand and advertising, Google will create a significant interest and finally free us from the physical interaction with the touch screen/keyboard, screen size and many other hardware attributes we hold in high esteem today. At that point we can say we have entered the post-hardware world.
Time will tell.
This has expanded drastically to include popular/talented youtubers as well now i.e. Caseyneistat does a lot of marketing work for Samsung, Nike etc.
