After Alexa and Google Assistant comes the Sonos voice assistant

The first step was the radio, and the second would be the voice assistant. According to several sources: Sonos is about to launch a feature that will allow music to be played and controlled through its speakers throughout the home.

Time should be short: From the beginning of June, with the software update, all S2-compatible Sonos devices will therefore have a replacement for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, which Sonos already supports on its speakers and amplifiers. The feature will initially be available in English in the US, and will also arrive later in other languages ​​and countries as well.

Sonos recently published job offers related to an unspecified “Sonos Voice Experience,” with the stated goal of “making voice interactions completely private, more personal, and natural.” Sonos Voice’s debut will mark a pivotal moment in the company’s expansion of services, which in turn will boost the hardware business as well. The assistant will allow you to play specific songs, artists, or playlists with voice commands, among other functions.

Initially, Sonos Voice will be compatible with Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, Deezer, and Sonos Radio, but – apparently – not with Google Spotify and YouTube Music. The password to activate the assistant will be “Hey Sonos”. But Santa Barbara could have more ambitious goals: its products could actually become the center of broadcast entertainment, going beyond audio to also include video; It is no coincidence that there has been no word in many parts of the “home theater operating system” for which the company is hiring engineers and programmers.

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However, it’s not clear if Sonos Voice will also allow you to interact with other connected devices, advancing to compete with Google Assistant and Alexa for home automation. In line with Sonos’ commitment to privacy, the assistant will not record users’ voice commands or transmit them to the cloud for processing. In short, the opposite of what Alexa and Google Assistant do, which works thanks to the cloud despite offering guarantees of security and respect for privacy. On the other hand, the use of user data for both companies is an important business, because they use voice interactions for advertising purposes. Sonos, Google, and Amazon continue to work together as partners, although Sonos has publicly accused the two companies of favoring their products and using some of their patents without permission. At this point, Santa Barbara has won a lawsuit against Google.

According to the latest rumors circulating on the Internet, in addition to the voice assistant, Sonos is planning cheaper speakers, which will be added to the packet And at the top of the range Arch. It should cost around $250 and be called the Sonos Ray; Unlike the larger models, it will not have built-in microphones for voice control.