The multi-room connected speaker specialist Sonos is preparing its own voice assistant to offer an alternative solution to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Named Sonos Voice control, this new assistant will be automatically integrated into Sonos speakers and equipment via a simple software update from June 1 in the United States, then in the rest of the world.
Sonos: voice control
Alongside the announcement of the new Sonos Ray soundbar, the American manufacturer revealed the upcoming release of its own voice assistant. Currently, many Sonos speakers such as the SONOS Roam, SONOS Move, SONOS One and Sonos Five, as well as soundbars such as the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and Sonos Arc, are equipped with microphones and natively incorporate Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Even models without a microphone like the new Sonos Ray as well as the SONOS Roam SL and SONOS One SL speakers are compatible with these assistants and can therefore be controlled vocally by pairing them with a speaker with voice assistant.
Sonos Voice Control: respect for privacy
Sonos has made it possible to control its speakers by voice for a long time, but the brand wants to offer a an assistant that is more respectful of your privacy with Sonos Voice Control. The brand says it has the aim to make vocal interactions completely private, more personal and more natural. To do this, the Sonos Assistant does not log user requests to send them to the cloud.“Sonos is committed to delivering new experiences that effortlessly connect listeners to the content they love without data privacy concerns,” said Joseph Dureau, vice president of Sonos Voice Experience.
Sonos Voice Control will offer the same control possibilities as current assistants. It will be possible to control music playback, manage the volume and play the music of your choice simply using the command: “Hey Sonos”. At launch, the Sonos Voice Control voice assistant will be compatible with Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, Deezer, and of course Sonos Radio. The Sonos Assistant will also manage Sonos multi-room systems to transfer listening from room to room or throughout the home.
Sonos Voice Control: a famous voice
The American manufacturer also intends to make its voice assistant more human. To do this, it has abandoned robotic voices and enlisted Giancarlo Esposito, a famous actor known for the role of Gustavo Fring in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul and more recently for Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian. He will be in charge of the English version of the assistant. For Sonos Voice Control in French, it’s a safe bet that the brand will enlist Giancarlo Esposito’s official voice actor. Sonos also promises that many more famous voices will be added to Sonos Voice Control over time.
By launching its own voice assistant, Sonos promises an uncompromising experience for controlling its connected speakers and soundbars.
