Admit it, you’ve dreamed that instead of being locked down to using Siri, Bixby, Alexa, and the Google Assistant that there could be another option limited to being used on Sonos products running its S2 software. You haven’t? Well, Sonos is launching its own voice assistant anyway as an alternative to other services, with compatible smart speakers and voice-enabled soundbars set to gain functionality on June 1st.
According to The Verge, Sonos customers in the US will be the first to gain access to Sonos Voice Control via a software update that will begin rolling out to compatible devices from June 1st. The reason for this new, proprietary voice assistant? Sonos says that it wants to “make voice interactions fully private, more personal, and more natural.” At launch, Sonos Voice Control will work with the following music streaming services:
- Apple Music
- Amazon Music
- Pandora
- Deezer
- Sonos Radio
It seems that YouTube Music and Spotify are missing from the list and Sonos hasn’t given details on when or if they will be supported, so that’s something to keep in mind. It’s thought that while users will be able to use other voice assistants alongside Sonos Voice that the Google Assistant may be the exception thanks to the search giant’s restrictions on access.
In terms of privacy, Sonos says that commands will not be recorded or relayed to the cloud for processing, so there will be less of your data present in the ether which is always good to hear. Users will need to say “Hey Sonos” to activate Sonos Voice Control, so that’s yet another wake word to remember. According to Sonos, the voice assistant will perform tasks such as playing specific songs, playlists, or artists via voice commands. It’s presumed that you’ll also be able to control the playback and volume by voice command as well.
Are you excited by the prospect of Sonos Voice or is it something that belongs with Bixby in the bin? Let us know in the comments below.
