What up with Google Assistant!

Sigh, it's getting a little boring.

Google Confirms Integration in Sonos One at CES 2019


P.S. It is also immature to make purchasing decisions based on expectations, announcements, promises or wishful thinking.

I have a google Hub... I'm just looking for it to interface with the Play:1 to see it as a source to cast to.

I'm seriously thinking of selling my 3 Play:1 speakers and buying something else. It's pretty ridiculous that this integration isn't already here. I paid $250 for these things and can't even use them like I want to. I can sell one of them and probably buy two more speakers with that money that actually work with Google already.As noted by spydrwebb, your Play:1 speakers will never have Google Assistant. They don't even have microphones built in

I'm seriously thinking of selling my 3 Play:1 speakers and buying something else. It's pretty ridiculous that this integration isn't already here. I paid $250 for these things and can't even use them like I want to. I can sell one of them and probably buy two more speakers with that money that actually work with Google already.As noted by spydrwebb, your Play:1 speakers will never have Google Assistant. They don't even have microphones built in

Hey, you don't need Sonos One to use Google Assistant. We all just want google assistant integration. Obviously you don't own a google home or mini or you would understand how they work

Hey, you don't need Sonos One to use Google Assistant. We all just want google assistant integration. Obviously you don't own a google home or mini or you would understand how they work

Please enlighten me as to how you could safely draw this conclusion. You don't have a clue what any of us own.

For your information, I'm thousands of dollars invested in Google/Nest, so I'm well aware of how a Home, Mini, and Hub all work. You came on here asking about GA integration with Sonos, and your question(s) have been asked and answered. You just don't like the answer(s), so you resort to false accusations?

Sonos will release the official announcement when they're ready. If that much isn't satisfying to you, that's entirely acceptable. But conducting yourself in the manner you've done here is neither welcome or productive.

Guys, google is hands down better than Alexa. We’ve got to keep up the pressure and make sure this integration takes place. Get pissed, voice concerns but stay on sonos. I personally love sonos but refuse to install an echo dot or Alexa. They just suck. Google is the more intuitive solutio.

Google IO19 is over. No Google Assistant on Sonos yet and still no word from Sonos. I already never every recommend this speaker to anyone because of Sonos' lies and silence. But I still have 4 Sonos One's and I really hope Google Assistant comes one day. I still think it's because the HW is too poor and they're SW is really crappy. They can't make this happen I think. That's why they released a new Sonos One with better HW and more memory...You're the one who is lying here. Google I/O is a 3 day event. It's just getting started

One has to wonder if that's one of the reasons that Google is dragging their feet on this implementation. They certainly make more money selling their own hardware, and no money when Sonos sells a speaker.

I doubt they make much on their hardware. Their big moneymaker is data about you, so that they can sell targeted ads to you. The Sonos owner demographic is surely one that they covet.

i know people are not going to be happy with what i'm going to say, and this is third hand news, so dismiss it if you will.

but i know from a reliable source who was at Google I/O, that Google are blocking the release of assistant on sonos as it doesn't fit with their smart home strategy. details i don't know. but sonos are leaning on google hard to change their mind. it's otherwise ready for release.

the opinion from the insider was that it's just not going to happen anymore.

The number of 3rd party speakers that integrate with GA is tiny compared to the number of products that integrate with Nest thermostats and yet Google is disabling that API on August 31st as part of their new product strategy. Also new GA products will come under the Nest brand going forward so it is not that far fetched to think the Sonos integration might also fall victim to this new reorganization. It will be interesting to see just how far Google will go with locking everything down.

Google is ADDING dozens of new devices to GA. They're doing just the opposite of "locking down". They want GA to control everything in the home.

https://www.cnet.com/news/google-assistant-quietly-gets-native-controls-for-a-bunch-of-new-devices/

Exactly. They want to control everything in the home by locking down the API that currently allows 3rd parties to control their stuff. By ending the "Works with Nest" program and associated API they prevent things like IFTTT from working with their products, As I understand it the replacement "Works wirh Google" API will not allow any third party be the master or central control for Google Nest products but will only allow control requests sent through a Google Nest Home Hub. The requirements are also going to be different for developers to get into the "Works with Google" program which is going to be intentionally limited to a small number of approved partners "to ensure better security". There is already speculation that the Amazon Echo is unlikely to get that approval (or will be unable to accept the restrictive requirements that will be imposed) and therefore may not be able to control Nest thermostats and cameras after August. Since Nest and Home Assistant are now part of the same Google Nest division it is unclear if these changes could extend to things like Google Home enabled speakers or if any of the new API restrictions impact the integration between Sonos and Google Nest voice assistants. It is just interesting that all of these things seem to align with the statement posted earlier from the "reliable source".

What’s clear from all this is that Google is responsible for the delays, as it has been evolving its APIs and SDKs. The idea that Google wants to “lock out” Sonos, though, seems counter to their massive expansion to new devices. I think we’ll see GA control of Sonos soon, perhaps even using Local Home.

https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/07/google-launches-new-developer-tools-for-the-google-assistant/

I disagree. I don't think we can clearly state the cause of delays at all. Thee has only been speculation. Regarding the SDKs mentioned in your link they do not really look like good fits for Sonos. They don't mention music at all, mostly referring to native apps. I don't think Sonos wants to use native apps, or the local home, at least not initially, because it won't be of any use for their own speaker products, the Sonos One and Beam. Using Sonos already existing cloud service is the way to go. The Local Home would be a good option for those using google VAs with Sonos speakers, but it isn't the broad solution for all scenarios like cloud is. And it doesn't help sell new speakers for Sonos as well.

The local home looks like it will be a great push for selling Google's home hub stuff. Really good push, and I can see it being the top product next Christmas season. And maybe Sonos will work to integrate with that better in a phase 2, for lots of different reasons. I just don't see that happening right now.

I personally don't see much value in guessing whether to blame Google or Sonos. It seems like it only serves as a target for frustration. Why not just be frustrated without concern for who's to blame? Neither company has much to gain by accepting blame, or throwing the other under the bus, so we will unlikely know the truth anyway.

I dunno. As I've said before, I'd have been perfectly happy had Sonos simply added Chromecast, so that a phone, tablet, or any of Google's range of devices, especially the Home Hub, could handle the GA. It would have been simple and done ages ago.

The display on the Hub adds immeasurably to the experience, especially on third-party playlists where you can see at a glance what's playing, without the need to interrupt the song by asking. Since any of Google's assistant devices can play by default to a Chromecast device, it's seamless. I honestly spend more time these days casting from the Hub to high quality systems than I use Sonos. And that's a shame.

You could say the same thing about Alexa integration, If Sonos had just added a line-in across their product line and offered bundles that include an Echo Dot the integration would have been done months earlier and would have supported all of the calling features, multiple wake words, and other features that the integration still does not have today. If you use a Spot instead of a Dot you can even have lyrics displayed as your music plays. I know there is a grand plan that supposedly will make the longer road worthwhile but by the time it is delivered will it still be relevant? Or will the voice assistant landscape have shifted so much that the original vision no longer makes sense?

Exactly. Sonos will always be playing catch-up in this game. The big AI guys can and will evolve their strategies. Sonos doesn't have the resources they have. Chromecast, Airplay 2, Alexa Cast and Spotify Connect support (all are currently supported except Chromecast) would allow support of virtually all streaming providers from a phone/tablet, Dot, Spot, Show, Home Hub, etc. Chromecast is the only missing piece right now.

I don't disagree with this from a functionality standpoint, adding in Alexa/GA support in terms of using a non-Sonos VA to command Sonos. I don't think having an aux input is really the equivalent though, as it limits functionality and essentially reduces Sonos to dumb active speakers. Having on-board mics on the Sonos One and Beam may be more trouble than their worth, as they'll always be behind as you pointed out.

However, putting mics helped get the whole system relevant in a way. It's easier to sell someone on an all-in-one device than it is to explain how your system works with Amazon (and eventually Google). People can see it and understand.

I do like having the all-in-one devices, and don't personally miss any features from echos...right now. If a new feature comes up that I think I can definitely use, then, I'll turn off the Sonos mics and throw an echo dot in the room.