Can Sonos enable native Chromecast and Gemini support on its speakers?

This would be especially useful now that Gemini is becoming the default Google assistant across Android and smart home devices, and users increasingly expect consistent behaviour across their connected devices.

Would, I suspect, require legal permission from Google, which seems unlikely. 

I’m not sure Sonos has the electronics inside to use Chromecast, but I’m not sure how it works, having never used it.

That’s a fair point. Google Cast does require Google certification and agreements, but many third-party speaker brands already support it, so it’s more of a partnership decision than a technical impossibility.

On the hardware side, Chromecast is software-based and runs on a wide range of devices with different chipsets. Sonos speakers already handle streaming, buffering, and multi-room sync, so it’s likely more about product direction and licensing rather than raw electronics capability.

That’s really why I raised it here - to see if this is something Sonos might consider as part of making their speakers more open and easier to use within today’s mixed ecosystems.

I would think, given the legal issues Sonos and Google are seemingly constantly in might be a barrier to Google allowing Sonos access. 
 

My guess would be that Sonos has already requested, for the exact reasons you suggest, and been rebuffed.

That could be true, and I agree the legal history between Sonos and Google may well be a factor.

At the same time, things do change over time as platforms and assistants evolve. Gemini is becoming more central to Google’s ecosystem, and Chromecast is already widely supported across many third-party devices and most mainstream applications.

Sonos also has a large and growing user base, and bringing Sonos speakers more fully into the Google ecosystem could benefit both sides by extending Gemini and Chromecast to high-quality audio hardware already present in many homes.

From that angle, it feels like something that could benefit both platforms, if the commercial and partnership pieces ever align.

According to Gemini, only two non-google smart speakers support the AI voice assistant, and I’m doubtful of that response as it states that this is based on user reports, not any manufacturer published information.  I can’t even find that Insignia Voice Assistant, and the Lenovo clock seems to be future release?  Not sure.

All this to say, I don’t see much indication that Google is that interested in putting Gemini on non-Google smart speakers.

That’s fair, and I agree the public information is still patchy.

From my own experience though, Gemini for Home is clearly rolling out in phases and on a home-by-home basis. I’m in India and have two separate homes set up in the Google Home app. Gemini for Home has already been enabled in one of those homes, while the other is still on the older setup.

Google has also indicated that Gemini for Home will roll out to non-Google branded speakers that already support Google Assistant. In my case, I have a couple of Xiaomi IR smart speakers that are Google-enabled, and I already use them for Google voice commands to control non-WiFi devices like IR-based air conditioners and other appliances.

So Google is clearly extending Gemini beyond its own hardware for third-party speakers that already supported Google Assistant. From that perspective, Sonos feels like a logical candidate if and when Google and Sonos align on a partnership.