As of this writing, you can talk to Sonos One or Sonos Beam using Amazon Alexa or Siri (via iPhone), whichever suits your needs. This makes them some of the most versatile speakers and things are about to get even better.
According to Sonos, the Sonos One and Beam will both get Google Assistant support beginning next week. The feature will roll out as a software update for those in the U.S., with the same update scheduled to arrive in more markets “over the next few months.”
Here’s a section of the statement by Sonos:
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.
It’s worth noting that the wait for Google Assistant support on Sonos speakers has been coming for ages. The update was first promised to arrive in 2018 and even though it did, it was until November. To make matters worse, it was a limited beta testing program.
But the wait is finally over, at least for these two. As for other models, we still don’t know their fate, although a Google teaser at the CES 2019 seemed to suggest that older models will also get Assistant support. We should find out more about this in a few days.
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