Pickr
  • Latest News & Reviews
  • Recommendations
  • Phones
  • Earphones
  • Sound
  • The Wrap
No Result
View All Result
Pickr
  • Latest News & Reviews
  • Recommendations
  • Phones
  • Earphones
  • Sound
  • The Wrap
No Result
View All Result
Pickr
No Result
View All Result

Australian Sonos owners get Google Assistant (finally)

Leigh :) StarkbyLeigh :) Stark
July 3, 2019
Reading Time: 2 mins read
Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare over email

It’s no longer just Alexa, as Sonos and Google have teamed up, and the Google Assistant has launched locally on the Sonos speakers.

“Hey Google, what’s the weather today?”

That’s a statement many people utter when they use an Android phone, a Google app, or a Google smart display or smart speaker. It’s one of the many things you can say to Google to get it to say something back, and you can check the news, play music, or do a Google search to get an answer for something.

These days, asking Google something is fairly normal, but it’s something you can’t do on every device. Quite a few support it, but not everything.

However this week, Sonos does, as a good year or so of waiting has resulted in the Google Assistant being added to select Sonos speakers.

From this week, owners of the Sonos One and the Sonos Beam soundbar can now add the Google Assistant to call up Google functions on their speakers. Interestingly, the Google Assistant will work alongside that of Alexa, meaning both Amazon and Google’s assistants work on the same system.

“Hey Google” and “Hey Alexa” can be triggered from the same Sonos Beam, though they will do different things, with different skills supported between them.

One thing you may not be able to do, however, is use your Google Assistant to transmit sound to other Google speakers. Rather, the update brings the Google Assistant to Sonos speakers, but not necessarily multiroom across Sonos speakers to other Google speakers. That’s something we’ll be curious to test a little more, though it is a start.

In fact, it’s a speaker system that handles both major assistant services, covering Amazon’s Alexa — which the Sonos One launched with — and the Google Assistant. We’re not sure of many others that have this, if any, though we’ve heard that Bose might soon have something, and that makes the Sonos a rarity in the world.

If you’re not sure which assistant is the best, Sonos’ support for both is a good thing because it means you can now dabble with both and see which works best for your needs, if any.

Sonos owners will find the update waiting on their devices from July 3 provided they have a Sonos One or Sonos Beam. If you have an older Sonos product, your multiroom connectivity will still work, but you won’t be able to talk to your speaker because it lacks a microphone.

Leigh :) Stark

Leigh :) Stark

One of Australia's well regarded technology journalists working out of Sydney, Leigh Stark has been writing about technology for over 15 years, covering phones, computers, cameras, headphones, speakers, and more. Stylising his middle initial with an emoticon, he aims to present tech in a way that makes it easy for everyone. You can find him on Twitter and Facebook where he's typically talking tech, and can tune into what he's listening as he writes via Apple Music. While he founded Pickr in 2016, Stark's work can be seen in other publications including The Australian Financial Review, Popular Science, and many more. His award-winning podcast "The Wrap" is syndicated on Southern Cross Austereo's LiSTNR network weekly, while he can be heard on radio via ABC Brisbane and ABC Canberra, and seen on TV's Nine. Check out Leigh Stark's most recent media appearances.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

Sonos Ray offers up a $399 entry-level soundbar
The Wrap - Australia's fastest technology roundup

The Wrap – What’s new from Google, Sonos, and Sony

May 15, 2022
Sonos Roam
Sound

Breaking Bad’s Gus Fring is the voice of Sonos

May 12, 2022
Sonos Ray offers up a $399 entry-level soundbar
Sound

Sonos Ray offers up a $399 entry-level soundbar

May 12, 2022
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Recommendations
  • Best Picks
  • Methodology
  • About
  • Media Appearances
  • Contact
Change the way you choose.

© 2016 to 2022 Publishr Pty Ltd: ACN 624 227 256
All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Latest News & Reviews
  • Recommendations
  • Phones
  • Earphones
  • Sound
  • The Wrap

© 2016 to 2022 Publishr Pty Ltd: ACN 624 227 256
All rights reserved.