Google changes the way Nest speakers work after Sonos complaint

At the beginning of 2020, Sonos, a renowned speaker brand considered a pioneer in wireless multi-room audio, filed a lawsuit against Google in the United States. Prior to the International Trade Commission, Sonos estimated that the Mountain View company had stolen its technology.

According to Sonos, Google wireless speaker technology Although a patent application has been filed. The company claims to have traded with the Silicon Valley giant shortly before the first Google Home was launched in 2016. Meanwhile, Google would take over Sonos’ patented technologies. But the two companies collaborated together in 2019 by integrating Google Assistant into Sonos speakers.

Google removes features stolen from Sonos from Nest speakers

After years of litigation, the International Trade Commission has finally ruled in Sonos’ favour. Authorities believe that Google infringes a total of 5 patents. It seems that many Google products rely on technology originally designed by Sonos, including Nest smart speakers, Pixel smartphones, and Chromecasts.

According to Sonos, infringed patents “Highly popular home audio features including setup control of home audio systems, synchronization of multiple speakers, independent volume control of different speakers and stereo speaker pairing”.

According to the International Trade Commission decision, it gives Google 60 days to remove these features from its products. In case of refusal, the American giant will no longer be able to sell affected products in the US market. To circumvent sanctions, Google “degrade or eliminate certain features of products”says Sonos.

To avoid an outright ban, Google changed the way Nest speakers work. “Due to a recent legal decision, we are making some changes to the way you set up your devices and Speaker Group feature will work from now on”Google explains it on its website.

First, a small percentage of people who buy Nest speakers complete the configuration by installing a special application, “Device Utility” (DUA). This app will also allow accessories to install updates. Google states that the app should only be used once.

Also read: The screen of the first generation Google Nest Hub fell victim to terrible burns.inside

First of all, Google ignores this function: control the volume of all speakers in a group with just one click. “To adjust the volume of your speaker groups, you will need to adjust each speaker individually rather than using the group volume controller. Also, you will no longer be able to change the volume of your speaker group using the physical volume button on your phone”warns Google. Other than that, speaker arrays should continue to work fine unless the multiple speakers are from third-party brands.