- Google and Sonos have announced that a software update will roll out today in the US to the One and Beam speakers, adding built-in support for Google Assistant. The UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, France, and the Netherlands will get the update in July, while more countries will have to wait until later.
In October of 2017, Sonos introduced the One speaker with Alexa built in, but it promised Assistant would be coming the next year. Most of 2018 came and went and it wasn't until November that users were able to sign up for a private and demanding beta to test the feature. Then at CES this year, Google teased Sonos compatibility again, but we still had no official date. Thanks to Sonos's second quarter financial report, we now have an official confirmation: Assistant will come to Sonos next week.
Sonos mentions that a software upgrade will come to the One and Beam in the US, while more markets will need to wait a bit longer for the feature. There's no mention of older models as Google said in its teaser at CES, so we don't know if they'll "work with the Assistant" (possibly in a similar manner to how Chromecast speakers do) or not. We hope to know more next week.
This quarter we would like to highlight the much-anticipated launch of the Google Assistant on Sonos. We’ve been working on this for quite a while and are thrilled to be rolling it out next week. 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. This feature will truly elevate the customer experience and marks the first time that consumers will be able to buy a single smart speaker and get to choose which voice assistant they want to use. We think giving consumers choice is always the right decision, and we anticipate this philosophy will be adopted in the industry over time.
With this update, the Sonos One and Beam will be some of the most platform-agnostic speakers. You'll be able to talk to Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa straight through them, or set up Siri on your iPhone to control them.
UPDATE: 2019/05/14 6:03am PDT BY RITA EL KHOURY
Google and Sonos have announced that a software update will roll out today in the US to the One and Beam speakers, adding built-in support for Google Assistant. The UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, France, and the Netherlands will get the update in July, while more countries will have to wait until later.
Having Assistant built-in means you can directly ask it questions on your existing Sonos speakers, or even ask another Google Home device to play music on the Sonos. There are a few limitations though: Assistant on Sonos doesn't support voice calls (like many third-party Assistant speakers), only works with one Google account so there's no multi-user yet but it should be coming later, and doesn't offer grouping or multi-room inside the Google Home app. You will need to use Sonos' groups instead.
UPDATE: 2019/07/02 3:50pm PDT BY RICHARD GAO
As promised, the countries that Sonos said would receive the Assistant update in July are now getting it. Those countries are Australia, Canada, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the UK. If you have a Sonos One in one of those countries, be sure to check for a software update.
Source: Sonos (PDF)
PRESS RELEASE
Hey Google! Welcome to Sonos.
Sonos adds the Google Assistant via a free software update on Sonos in the United States; Additional countries to follow in July
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today Sonos (Nasdaq: SONO) brings the smart control of the Google Assistant to Sonos’ brilliant sound experience. As the first to bring multiple voice assistants to the same sound system, Sonos demonstrates the power of an open, multi-partner platform that prioritizes choice for customers. Use voice with the Google Assistant built-in to Sonos One or Sonos Beam, or with a connected Google Home product to easily start a song, queue a TV show, check the weather, and control the smart home. The free software update will be available starting today in the United States. Support in the UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, France, and The Netherlands comes in July with additional countries to follow on a rolling basis over the coming months.
“We value freedom of choice, empowering listeners to choose what they want to listen to and how they want to control it. Adding voice, now with the Google Assistant, has made that control even easier,” said Patrick Spence, Sonos CEO. “We partnered with Google to build this integration from the ground up, layering in the best of the Google Assistant into the Sonos ecosystem of products and partners. Today we’re the first company to have two voice assistants working concurrently on the same system, a major milestone for the industry. We imagine a day where we’ll have multiple voice assistants operating concurrently on the same device, and we’re committed to making that happen as soon as possible.”
The Google Assistant is Sonos’ second built-in voice assistant. Customers on Sonos will have the ability to choose an assistant for each individual speaker, with multiple voice assistants on a single system. With the Google Assistant on Beam in the living room and Alexa on the Sonos One in the kitchen, start a song with the Google Assistant, ask Alexa what’s playing, and vice versa.
Not just music and TV, Sonos will support the Google Assistant’s top first party actions and features, including Continued Conversation, Broadcast mode, and the ability to choose a different voice for the assistant. Bringing the richness of the Google ecosystem and integration within the smart home, the Google Assistant on Sonos also includes more than one million actions from partner products. Additional features and actions will be available through ongoing updates, bringing even more to the Google Assistant experience on Sonos. At launch, customers will enjoy:
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System control. Built on Sonos’ open platform of products and partners, listeners can start a song using AirPlay from Apple Music, ask the Google Assistant to go to the next track, and turn the volume down in the Sonos App. In addition, just one supported voice-enabled device allows for customers to request music or content to be played on other Sonos speakers in the system (Play:1, for example).
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Music, news, and radio. Request and control with voice from a growing list of streaming services, including: Spotify, YouTube Music, Google Play Music, Pandora, TIDAL, TuneIn, iHeartRadio and Deezer to start. Use voice to go to the next song, change the volume, or pause with all streaming services available on Sonos.
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Easy control for TV with Sonos Beam. Turn on the TV with the Google Assistant using Beam’s HDMI ARC connection and CEC, switch from TV to music, and adjust the volume. Add a Chromecast Ultra to get additional features with voice for TV, including requesting specific shows or movies from streaming services.
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Get answers, manage tasks and plans. Hear a daily brief, flight information or commute time, set alarms, timers, and pull up calendar appointments or get answers on weather, calculations, translations, sports, and more. This is all part of the Google ecosystem -- ask Google Assistant for directions and have them sent directly to an Android phone.
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Connect with Smart Home. Ask the Google Assistant on Sonos to adjust the temperature or turn on the light. At this time, there are more than 200 million devices in homes globally that work with the Google Assistant now on Sonos.
Sonos & the Google Assistant Present: The Brilliant Sound Experience
To showcase the power of Sonos sound paired with the smart control of the Google Assistant, Sonos and Google are delivering a series of multi-sensory installations for the public in New York, June 7-9. Featuring new music from 4AD artists The National and Holly Herndon, alongside tracks curated by the iconic Beggars Group of labels (Rough Trade, 4AD, XL, Matador and Young Turks), the Google Assistant on Sonos will help visitors explore how sound works, how it layers into music, and how music sparks emotion. Learn more and RSVP.
Sonos (Nasdaq: SONO) is one of the world’s leading sound experience brands. As the inventor of multi-room wireless home audio, Sonos innovation helps the world listen better by giving people access to the content they love and allowing them to control it however they choose. Known for delivering an unparalleled sound experience, thoughtful home design aesthetic, simplicity of use and an open platform, Sonos makes the breadth of audio content available to anyone. Sonos is headquartered in Santa Barbara, California. Learn more at www.sonos.com.