Question

What exactly does integration of Google Assistant mean?

  • 2 December 2017
  • 17 replies
  • 2689 views

A question or two/three to Sonos:

Today, anyone that wants to use the Google Mini with ANY third party speaker has to also buy the CCA puck from Google. But since Sonos users have been given a way to not need the puck if they have Android devices, not allowing them the same benefit while using Google Home/ Mini is more likely a Google decision, not Sonos? Hopefully, that will be revisited soon by one/both and is part of the announced integration of Google Assistant?

My next question: In this "enabling Google Assistant" that Sonos says it will do soon, is this allowing of Google Home/Mini to work with Sonos without a CCA puck all that needs to be done?

And if so or otherwise, since "play to Sonos" works automatically, immediately and very well in any place in the world where GPM service is available, will Google Assistant do so just as soon and as well? Because this last bit seems to be a major challenge for Sonos where the Alexa integration is concerned; Alexa is also released now by Amazon in Canada, India and Japan, but there is no knowing when it will work on Sonos the way it does in US/UK/Germany, the only countries where Alexa was available when Sonos released Alexa integration.

Finally, what else will be included in the first iteration of an enabled Google Assistant by Sonos?

Some clarity will be welcome in deciding investments between different command hardware going forward.

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17 replies

Yes, it's true.

I buy a Sonos One and I'm waiting to use it with Google Assistant. When will it be available? Because the advertisement says soon but there is no timetable from Sonos.:(
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Also waiting for an update from Sonos enabling Google Assistant. Last year Sonos told us 2018...now that we are a month into 2018 I think Sonos should announce an updated timeline for the Google Assistant update.
Sonos would say there are still more than 11 months left in 2018.
Sonos never gives detailed timelines. Sorry, but that's their policy.
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Well... they still need to hear from those of us who purchased Sonos One based specifically on the promised Google Assistant feature to come. You got my dollars Sonos...now deliver please.
They read every comment here. I'm sure they are aware of the market for Google Assistant support. Their decision to implement it didn't arrive out of thin air.
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What's with the defensive stance here? The issue is not their decision to implement...the issue is with following through and actually doing it. Announced in October 2017...it's now almost February 2018. No need to be defensive on behalf of Sonos. They can speak for themselves.
No one is being defensive, just explaining how Sonos behaves without justifying it. For example, they may have read this thread, but have decided to not answer the questions I have posed while starting it.
I agree with Deitiphobia I specifically went with the Sonos One bundle offer over the HomePod as they were introducing the Google Assistant. Set my speakers up this evening and have to say how impressed I am. Just waiting for an empty house to crank it up!!
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One thing Sonos never do is backtrack on any planned features once announced, but unfortunately they never give timescales as software development on Sonos is very much a moving target with all the inegration and continual hardware / software updates on controller devices.
Ok patience is the order of the day, I bought alexa dot early 2017 to work with sonos but the functionality did not materialise for over 10 months - when sonos announced it will come they propobably just started the build, the intergration and testing will also take time. So it may take a little longer than you are expecting.
A question or two/three to Sonos:

And if so or otherwise, since "play to Sonos" works automatically, immediately and very well in any place in the world where GPM service is available, will Google Assistant do so just as soon and as well? Because this last bit seems to be a major challenge for Sonos where the Alexa integration is concerned; Alexa is also released now by Amazon in Canada, India and Japan, but there is no knowing when it will work on Sonos the way it does in US/UK/Germany

Can Sonos answer at least the quoted question, marked in bold? Because if that is the case, the later Google Assistant release by Sonos in 2018 may mean it still being available before the Alexa one for many people outside the privileged countries, and therefore worth waiting for in preference to Amazon.

Of course for those that have a Sonos line in socket, the wider availability globally of Google Play Music makes voice control via Google Home/Mini available to users in many more countries today compared to those that can use a Dot in a similar manner wherever Alexa is released even if Sonos has not caught up with those releases. For the price of a USD 35 Chromecast Audio device, the Google Home/Mini will voice control Sonos very well today in many parts of the world; in some ways, also do this better than what Sonos does via the Alexa integration.

Ryan, over to you.
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All you will get is "google assistant will work with sonos one sometime 2018"
So buy the sonos one now, all will be ok later......trust us.........honest........
I do not believe that the mic performance of the mic carrying One will ever match that from a mic holder like a Dot or Mini that can be placed nearer to people and away from the sound producing speakers; a built in handicap that the One will never shed.

Add to that the ability to change front ends from one to the next cheaply as they evolve more rapidly than the One will and I see little reason to ever choose the One seeing that the sound quality from it can also be obtained a lot more cheaply from the play 1 unit.
I'm adding my name to this. I own a number of Sonos products from a few years ago and I expect that they'll deliver earlier in 2018 than later. If this sin't the case I'll start transitioning my distributed speakers to Google home. My whole house is setup for automation through Google home and if Sonos doesn't work in this ecosystem it has no place in my home.

I already own a home mini and while I don't think it's great, it was a cheap foray into that ecosystem. I use Android auto in my car to control my home when I'm on my way home. I'd like to have legitimate integration across all of my devices.
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A question or two/three to Sonos:

And if so or otherwise, since "play to Sonos" works automatically, immediately and very well in any place in the world where GPM service is available, will Google Assistant do so just as soon and as well? Because this last bit seems to be a major challenge for Sonos where the Alexa integration is concerned; Alexa is also released now by Amazon in Canada, India and Japan, but there is no knowing when it will work on Sonos the way it does in US/UK/Germany

Can Sonos answer at least the quoted question, marked in bold? Because if that is the case, the later Google Assistant release by Sonos in 2018 may mean it still being available before the Alexa one for many people outside the privileged countries, and therefore worth waiting for in preference to Amazon.

Of course for those that have a Sonos line in socket, the wider availability globally of Google Play Music makes voice control via Google Home/Mini available to users in many more countries today compared to those that can use a Dot in a similar manner wherever Alexa is released even if Sonos has not caught up with those releases. For the price of a USD 35 Chromecast Audio device, the Google Home/Mini will voice control Sonos very well today in many parts of the world; in some ways, also do this better than what Sonos does via the Alexa integration.

Ryan, over to you.


As @Paulw123 predicted, we're not sharing many of the details here just yet. Keep in mind, the announcement right now is that we're working to bring Google Assistant to the Sonos One. There isn't any official announcement on Google Home integration. As to Assistant coming to the Sonos One, it's in development, which means things are likely to change and I can't speak to specifics with confidence just yet. The good news is it's coming this year, so you won't have too long to wait until you'll get the real answers.

I know you're also looking to get the answer to "Will Google Assistant work on the Sonos One in India?"
At this time, the best answer I can give is "Stay tuned. When launch time comes, you'll find out all the countries where it'll be available. Until then, if there's any word on locations that we can share I'll let you know."
As to Assistant coming to the Sonos One, it's in development, which means things are likely to change and I can't speak to specifics with confidence just yet. The good news is it's coming this year, so you won't have too long to wait until you'll get the real answers.

I know you're also looking to get the answer to "Will Google Assistant work on the Sonos One in India?"

Thank you. To the second above: I had not asked about India plans knowing it was useless to do so when you won't say when the integration for an Alexa released by Amazon in India on October 30 will be made available in India by Sonos. The question was couched in general terms about whether the Assistant release will be simultaneous across countries in the manner the feature of Google Cast on Sonos was, three years ago. Unlike this two step process in place for the Alexa integration, where as far as I know, Sonos still lags behind all Alexa releases done by Amazon in the last six months in countries other than India as well.

As to Google Assistant being blessed with the coming in 2018 tag, some may not agree that end of 2018 falls under the
" haven't too long to wait" column. But thank you anyway.