As major tech brands like Google, Amazon, and Apple continue to duke it out with smart home speakers, those original speaker manufacturers have to ensure that they are not left behind by adapting to the new technology. One such brand is Sonos, and they are currently beta testing adding Amazon’s Alexa to their existing speakers, and looking at adding other AI-powered digital assistants as well. Plus, they have officially announced a new speaker called Sonos ONE and it already has Alexa on board.
The speaker may seem similar to the Sonos Play:1 but six microphones on top that will let you speak to Alexa even from across the room. You can also control the speakers either by accessing the control surface on top through tapping and swiping, or using the Sonos app (which is getting a visual refresh as well). By next year though, Google Assistant will also be arriving not just to this new speaker, but also with the other Sonos speakers as well. You can also pair this speaker with other ONE devices but also with non-Alexa-enabled speakers.
As for the Alexa integration, the public beta is now available for those who want to test it out. The Sonos speakers can also be integrated with Amazon’s Echo line-up. And because they all have (or will have) Alexa, then you can control your multiple speakers across various zones. Sonos calls opening up its devices and platform the “sonic internet” so that audio content becomes more accessible.
The Sonos ONE speaker will be available for pre-order already and it will cost you $199 in the US, £199 in the UK, or 229 euros in Europe. It will start shipping out by October 24.
