If you pre-ordered JBL's $399 Link Bar last August, you could end up waiting almost a year for it to arrive -- or possibly longer. Pre-order customers were originally told the all-in-one soundbar, TV box and Google Assistant speaker would ship in October. That didn't happen, and last month, unknown delays pushed shipping to spring. After pre-order customers noticed another ship-date change, Android Police confirmed with JBL that "in-market availability is now planned for mid-to-late summer." The Link Bar first gained attention for its promise to combine several features into one sleek, convenient device.

JBL made a splash with it's Android TV-powered Google Assistant soundbar back at Google I/O, but the company wasn't able to ship the speaker before the end of 2018. Despite opening up pre-orders and rumblings of anticipated ship dates in the fall, the Link Bar has yet to make it's official debut. JBL is chatting up the device this week at CES, and part of the details include an updated timeline for when you might be able to grab one: spring 2019. As a refresher, the JBL Link Bar doubles as an Android TV box with Google Assistant built-in for voice control of compatible devices around your home. Chromecast is also built-in, so you can stream music and video content directly from your phone with ease.

You don't have to wait too much longer if you like the thought of a Google-powered soundbar. JBL's Link Bar is now available for pre-order in the US for $399, with shipments poised to start in October. You won't get a room-shaking system for that money with a modest 100W output and no subwoofer (it does support wireless models), but you will get smarts. The Link Bar includes both a full-fledged Android TV interface as well as always-on Google Assistant voice control. You can tell it to play TV shows in addition to the usual Assistant commands, and spoken commands work whether or not the TV is on.

Android TV didn't get any stage time at Tuesday's Google I/O keynote, but anyone who wandered into the Android TV tent on the grounds of the Shoreline Amphitheater saw something equally important: The JBL Link Bar. Like every other Android TV device, the Link Bar is not a Made by Google product (by the same token, neither are any of the Smart Displays coming later this year that visualize the Google Assistant experience). Like those smart speakers, however, this soundbar is powered by Google's smarts and savvy, and it could turn a forgotten project into a household name. When I walked into the demo room, I already knew that JBL's Link Bar is several products wrapped up into one: a smart speaker, a soundbar, and a 4K Android TV streaming box. But as the Google rep showed me how it works, it became clear that the Link Bar wasn't just another forgettable device powered by Android TV.

Google's home theater strategy might finally be starting to come together. Ahead of the I/O conference that kicks off tomorrow, Google is giving a preview of an upcoming Google Assistant-enabled smart speaker, and it's not meant to go on your nightstand--it's meant to fit under your TV. Google has partnered with JBL on the new Link Bar, which is many things in one: It's a soundbar. Instead of focusing the bedroom or kitchen, JBL has made a Google Assistant speaker that can power your entire home theater, whether you're listening to music, looking for a good movie, dim your smart lighting, or you just want to know the weather forecast. While pictures of the device indicate it has ports o' plenty--4 HDMI ports, Ethernet, and digital optical and analog audio ports--there's a lot we don't know about the Link Bar yet, namely how much it costs and how many drivers it has.