When I reviewed the Sonos One back in February, Alexa support was expected but not yet available. But a software update that has been deployed this week adds Alexa support, making it one of the best sounding smart speakers on the market. And the One, as well as some other products in the Sonos range will be getting another update, once Apple finally releases AirPlay 2.
Sonos has announced Alexa support has been added to the Sonos One through a firmware update that is being delivered through the Sonos iOS and Android apps. It will support most Alexa commands including the ability to ask Alexa to play music although call commands are not enabled as those get in the way of Sonos’ main mission of delivering great sound.
AirPlay 2 is also on the cards, once Apple makes a decision on when it will roll their new music streaming tech.
Apple has added and removed AirPlay 2 several times form various beta versions of iOS and other devices but can’t seem to get it production ready. But once Apple releases the protocol Sonos owners can expect to see it deployed on the latest versions of their product range.
As well as the Sonos:ONE, it’s expected that the Play:5 and Playbase will get AirPlay 2 support.
While there are lots of smart and network connected speakers around, Sonos architecture decision to put almost every element of each device under software control has proven to be a great advantage over some of the others as they can add new functions to older devices rather than forcing users into costly hardware upgrades.
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