Google announced yesterday that third-party smart speakers with Google Assistant features were on the way. But by announcing that Anker, Movoi, and Panasonic were making three of the first, the company sort of made it sound like we might have to wait a while for more to be announced.
It turns out we only had to wait a day. Sony introduced a Google Assistant-enabled smart speaker this morning. And JBL has three models coming this fall.
The JBL Link series speakers have all the usual featured you’d expect from a device with Google Assistant capabilities. You can stream music, control smart home devices, an get answers to questions with voice commands. There’s also Chromecast integration.
JBL’s Link 300 is a stationary device with a 50 watt speaker that’s meant to be used while plugged in. It measures 9.3″ x 5.3″ x 6″.
The company’s two smaller Google Assistant speakers are portable devices that can run on battery power.
The JBL Link 10 features stereo 8 watt speakers, up to 5 hours of battery life, IPX7 water resistance, and a 3.4″ x 6.7″ body. It’s priced at $149.
The Link 20 is a bit larger, measuring 3.7″ x 8.3″ and packing stereo 10 watt speakers and up to 10 hours of battery life.