Google and Sonos have been embroiled in a legal battle since 2020, with Sonos claiming that Google stole five of its patents and has been using them in its devices including the Chromecast, Google Home speakers, Pixel phones, and Pixelbook computers (mostly made in China and imported to the US)
The US International Trade Commission has ruled that Google was infringing on Sonos’ patents relating to smart speakers. This is a kind of decision that may see Google halt importing products that are using the infringed technology. It is however not certain whether or not any specific products from Google may disappear from the shelves following this ruling.
So what does the ruling really mean to Google smart speaker owners?
With Google having 60 days to implement changes before a ban goes in place, there already are software workarounds despite the case being subject to a presidential review.
One of the infringed patents is specifically about adjusting the volume of devices over a local area network.
To adjust the volume on your speaker groups, one will need to adjust each speaker individually instead of using the group volume controller. You’ll also no longer be able to change your Speaker Group volume using your phone’s physical volume button.
“A small set of users” will need to use a specific app to set up their smart devices and update them as Google elaborated. Generally, the usability of your Google home speakers is bound to slightly worsen as the changes seem like a big downgrade, especially for Google’s multi-room audio.