Sonos Voice: smart speaker assistant to outsmart Alexa, Google?
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It's not a secret that Sonos is working on its very own voice assistant. Today we learn more details about Sonos' Voice Control's imminent launch and its key features. Sonos could introduce its smart speaker assistant next month based on the recent report.
TL;DR
- Sonos is expected to announce its own voice assistant in June.
- The Sonos Voice Control will work with Sonos' smart speakers.
- Compact $250 soundbar Sonos Ray may be launched very soon.
Sonos Voice will work in tandem in Amazon Alexa
Last year a Redditor found a reference to a Sonos Voice Control application. It shows the alleged logo of the audio company's smart assistant in the form of a speech bubble with rounded ripples at the center. In addition, the code also mentions some degree of compatibility between Amazon Alexa and Sonos Voice in the same speaker – but not with Google Assistant.
Come 2022, another set of images was shared that further confirms the arrival of the yet unannounced smart assistant for Sonos smart speakers and soundbars. The source tells us that you can wake the assistant by saying "Hey Sonos" to a compatible speaker such as the Sonos Play 1 or Sonos One while different voice commands are also available. Playing an entire album and identifying the track title are among the basic functions of the assistant.
It is mentioned that the voice assistant will arrive through a software update on older Sonos smart speakers and soundbars. The assistant will work with Sonos Radio, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, and Pandora at launch. Support for YouTube Music and Spotify streaming apps is said to come later.
The big question remains: Why would Sonos introduce their own voice assistant? One possible answer is to woe users that have privacy concerns over using Alexa or Google Assistent – because, let's be honest: Voice assistants are indeed really useful for audio control. On the other hand it's doubtful that Sonos Voice will be able to outsmart its rivals in terms of features.
Sonos' new budget Ray soundbar will miss voice assistant
The Sonos Ray is also an unannounced device that is scheduled to be unveiled later this month or in early June. The compact soundbar will miss voice assistant support and Dolby Atmos support. However, users may be able connect to other smart Sonos speakers to control Ray through voice commands.
According to the leaked listing, Sonos Ray will retail for about $250 in the US. It will come with audio input and ethernet ports while a WiFi option is also available.
How would you use the Sonos voice assistant at home? Would you be grateful for a voice assistant that's not from Google or Amazon? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
