Sonos Introduces New Voice Assistant in Early Access on November 6
The company's new voice assistant will offer enhanced functionality and advanced capabilities, including natural language requests and broader general knowledge queries.
Sonos is set to introduce its new voice assistant in early access on November 6, marking a significant development for the audio equipment manufacturer. This move comes as the company aims to revamp its software and features, following a previous app redesign debacle.
The updated voice assistant will be part of an upcoming update rolling out this week, which includes various design tweaks and new features within Sonos' underlying software, dubbed Sonos 27. One of the key components of this software is the revamped voice assistant, designed to offer enhanced functionality.
The original introduction of Sonos 27 in September highlighted its focus on third-party AI assistants like ChatGPT and custom agents. However, the new voice assistant brings a fresh approach by integrating more advanced features that allow for natural language requests and broader general knowledge queries.
Sonos' new voice assistant, dubbed Sonos 27voice, can control playback on connected devices within your system, mirroring some of the capabilities seen in previous Voice Control features. It also offers basic functionality such as setting timers, interacting with smart home accessories, and providing current weather updates.
In contrast to earlier iterations, Sonos 27voice boasts more advanced capabilities. According to the company's support page, it can comprehend complex queries and offer detailed answers on a wide range of topics, from music recommendations to sports news.
The new voice assistant will reportedly be able to play specific albums or genres based on user requests, with the ability to target individual speakers or areas within your home. This level of functionality is reminiscent of modern AI assistants like the Google Assistant and Alexa integration offered by Sonos in previous models.
To gain access to Sonos' new voice assistant, users will need to request early access through the Sonos app and receive approval from the company. This approach is likely a deliberate move by Sonos to test the feature with a smaller group of users before its full release in 2027.
As part of this testing phase, Sonos aims to collect feedback from users and avoid any potential backlash that may arise from the introduction of the new voice assistant. The company has already faced criticism for its 2024 app redesign, suggesting that it is taking a cautious approach with the rollout of Sonos 27voice.
In addition to the voice assistant feature, Sonos is also introducing two other new features: Presets and System Health. Presets allow users to save groupings of music and playback settings that can be instantly played from any Sonos device with a single tap.
The new voice assistant from Sonos will initially be available in the US market alone during its early access phase, which starts on November 6. This rollout is limited to devices that support Sonos' S2 platform.
Only English language support is included in this initial release of Sonos 27voice.
Facts based on reporting originally published by Engadget.
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