Google Assistant can now use a Sonos speaker as its default hardware. Sonos hardware received updates this week that will allow those devices to be the primary player for requests of the voice assistant. The update expands on the long-awaited integration of Google Assistant into Sonos’ ecosystem, which faced several delays before finally rolling out in May 2019.
Sonos and Google have been collaborating for several years, although the relationship entered tenuous territory earlier this year. Sonos filed a patent infringement lawsuit against the tech giant last month, claiming that Google used its technology as a basis for its line of smart speakers. Dependence on the providers of voice assistants is one of the biggest risks facing third-party hardware companies like Sonos. When Sonos sued Google, people at the top of the company said Amazon had also infringed on its patents, but the business couldn’t afford to bring challenges against both massive enterprises at once. Sonos supports both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.