Google Assistant invades Singapore’s living rooms through Sonos, JBL and Harman Kardon

Smart assistants have been a mainstay in the kitchens of tech-savvy Singaporeans for years now, helping us figure out how many teaspoons of salt you need for a pot of laksa and playing our cooking playlist out loud using voice commands. 

So it’s only natural that the next spot in your house to place a virtual assistant is your living room. And since Amazon Alexa ain’t supported here and Apple’s Siri has its own, um, issues, the best digital helper at hand is none other than the AliGenie. 

I kid, I kid, it’s Google Assistant. 

Most of us would already know that soundbars and speakers are the cornerstones of any respectable home theatre — but what if you could actually have that and hook up Google Assistant to do your bidding? 

This week alone saw three brands vying for a spot in the headlines, and all three have the same goal; integrating Google Assistant into your TV consoles. 

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JBL

JBL has the JBL Link Bar ($499), which is a soundbar that has both the virtual assistant and a full Android TV set-top box. It's insane how long we had to wait for this one, especially since it was first hyped up at the Google I/O conference in May last year. It was supposed to have launched in late 2018, but rounds of delays pushed the release date even further. But hey, it’s finally here. 

The Link Bar is certainly an ambitious product. JBL boasts that it’s three devices rolled into one — a soundbar, a Google smart speaker, and an Android TV streaming box. Which on paper sounds amazing, because you can switch between inputs (like from your PS4 to Apple TV, etc) and even search for Netflix movies or YouTube videos with your voice. There’s an optional subwoofer too, but that’s only arriving here closer to the end of the year. 

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For those of us who haven’t bought a soundbar yet, the JBL Link Bar certainly seems to provide a solution to a smart home living room. But in reality, it would appear to be that the product’s not there just yet. Reviews from The Verge, Tech Hive, TechRadar, CNET and more have all noted how laggy the integrated Google Assistant is, even though it works perfectly okay as a standalone soundbar. Hopefully, things can get patched up via software updates in the future. 

Harman Kardon

If it is an envy-inducing home cinema you’re after, look no further than Harman Kardon. The 66-year-old audio electronics brand — already known for premium surround sound systems — is stepping up to the next generation of home speakers with their Citation series, which have Google Assistant built-in. 

Ultimately, this one’s for folks with big cash to spare to upgrade their regular Google Nest speakers. Like the JBL Link Bar, there’s a Harmon Kardon Bar ($1,199), a larger, pricier and premium-er soundbar to have sitting under your TV. If that’s not enough, there’s an entire family of speakers — including countertop, tower, surround, and subwoofer options to add on. The best part? They can all sync up together wirelessly. 

Sonos

Not to be outdone, Sonos’ popular Beam ($699) and One ($329) speakers now have Google Assistant capabilities as part of a free software update. The same goes for the recently launched Sonos Move ($729) as well, allowing for the digital helper to be brought outside at picnics and other outdoor occasions where you might need a solid sound system. 

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The thing about Sonos' devices, however, is they're not tethered to just one type of AI helper. When Alexa eventually comes to Singapore, Sonos users will have the option to choose an assistant for each individual speaker. So it’s entirely possible to have Alexa running in the kitchen and Google Assistant operating in your living room. For the curious, Sonos will be holding a pop-up at Millenia Walk till Nov 17 to demonstrate how it all works on their boomboxes. 

ilyas@asiaone.com