Sonos delays Google Assistant support to 2019 as private beta testing begins

Ben Schoon | Nov 1 2018 - 8:53 am PT

Sonos has been promising the arrival of Google Assistant on its “One” speaker since its launch, but over a year later, there’s still nothing. Today, the company revealed in a blog post that Sonos Google Assistant support is being pushed back to 2019.

Just a couple of months ago, Sonos reiterated that it hoped to deliver the much-anticipated Google Assistant functionality by the end of 2018, specifically, in time for the holiday season. That makes sense, of course, as Assistant is quickly becoming a selling point for these speakers, and having it built into the excellent and affordable Sonos hardware would undoubtedly turn some extra sales.

Unfortunately, though, it seems the company just won’t be able to hit that deadline. It explains that “good progress” is being made, but more time is needed to get “the experience right.” Currently, there’s no set timeline for when in 2019 Sonos Google Assistant support will arrive.

We’re very excited to see Google Assistant come to life on Sonos, and we know our customers are too. Indeed, it’s easily one of the questions we get the most from customers, press, and even in the comments on our Instagram feed: When is Google Assistant coming to Sonos? We’re listening. Together with Google, we’ve learned a lot, and are confident the integration will be worth the wait.

To speed up the process, Sonos is seeking out some private beta testers to give Assistant support a shot ahead of the public launch. Those interested can sign up here, but there are some hefty requirements. If you’re interested in picking up the Sonos One, it’s available at several outlets, including Amazon, for $199.