Google Assistant is Finally Coming to Sonos One

18 months after it promised this functionality, Sonos will finally bring Google Assistant compatibility to its entry-level smart speakers.

“Through a software upgrade, Sonos One and Beam will support the Google Assistant in the U.S., with more markets to come over the next few months,” a Sonos letter to investors notes. The upgrade arrives next week.

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Sonos launched its Alexa-powered Sonos One in late 2017. At the time, it promised to bring Google Assistant support by the end of 2018 via a software upgrade. But in November, the firm delayed that capability without really stating why. However, a March refresh of Sonos One with more powerful innards and Bluetooth LE capabilities suggested that the original version of the smart speaker couldn’t handle the processing power needed to effectively run Google Assistant.

While Sonos’ high-end speakers will not get digital assistant support, it’s likely that the firm will rev those products over time, adding that support. But the recently-released Sonos Beam TV soundbar will be upgraded to support Google Assistant too.

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Conversation 7 comments

  • iPetr

    10 May, 2019 - 8:28 am

    <p>OK so for us in non-US markets, we will get GA on Sonos sometime before 2038 hopefully. At least of current rollout speed is any indication…</p>

  • Rob_Wade

    10 May, 2019 - 9:15 am

    <p>I don't care about Google's stupid assistant. I don't care about Alexa or Siri or Bixby. I want Cortana to function everywhere. Why can't Microsoft get this through their heads? Giving us a much more conversational experience–which I'm excited to see–is absolutely USELESS if I can't actually engage it on the devices Microsoft is forcing us to use since they killed their own. It is beyond stupid that I can't configure "the most customizable phone on the market" to use Cortana as my assistant on ALL things. It is beyond stupid that I can't configure "the most customizable phone on the market" to use Cortana in my car. I get so flipping sick of all the Android fans bragging about how "Android is great 'cause I can customize it however I want", only to discover that they are all fools.</p>

    • dontbe evil

      10 May, 2019 - 9:19 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#427318">In reply to Rob_Wade:</a></em></blockquote><p>shh don't disappoint paul</p>

    • GuyDye

      Premium Member
      10 May, 2019 - 9:39 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#427318">In reply to Rob_Wade:</a></em></blockquote><p>As a user of all four of those voice assistants you mention, I can assure you: Google Assistant is not stupid. I can also assure you (and even bet parts of my anatomy I treasure) that, moving forward, Cortana will become less useful to you as a consumer. For what it's worth, Alexa is great if you need toilet paper delivered to your house and Siri is great as long as you are all in on Apple devices and services. But Google Assistant? Yeah…that's the stuff.</p>

    • nicholas_kathrein

      10 May, 2019 - 12:38 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#427318">In reply to Rob_Wade:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>I see you want Microsoft to be your assistant but you can't force them or imagine them to be the best assistant. They either are or aren't. In this case they aren't the most capable assistant. They might be somewhere in the middle. You also can't wish them into the customer space. They tried that with the Envoke speaker and no one purchased them. The general consumer market sees Apple as #1 and Amazon and Google as #2 as a consumer company and Microsoft is no where in the mix. That means while MS spends millions on these Envoke speakers with their partners and only thousands are sold instead of millions they just lose money. The issue here is image they have with the public. Unless they can magicly change that you aren't going to get many products for the consumer market. </p>

  • petrolemo

    10 May, 2019 - 9:44 am

    <p>Hi Paul, your 3rd paragraph is unclear. So is the original Sonos One getting this upgrade? Or is it not powerful enough? </p>

  • GuyDye

    Premium Member
    10 May, 2019 - 9:47 am

    <p>Even though great wars spanning the globe have been conceived, planned, fought and won or lost in less time than it took for Sonos and Google to deliver Assistant…? Better late than never, I guess.</p>

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