Sonos 27voice Early Access Launches November 6
According to an announcement from Sonos, early access testing for its upcoming Sonos 27voice assistant begins on November 6. The company is introducing access to the assistant as part of an update rolling out this week. Several new features and design alterations were planned by the organization for its fresh underlying Sonos 27 software, including a redesigned voice assistant.
Sonos 27voice Supports Basic Assistant Tasks
When Sonos initially debuted Sonos 27 in September, it mentioned that the upcoming voice assistant would handle music and mood selection, though its main focus at the time was on the platform’s compatibility with custom agents and third-party AI assistants like ChatGPT. Much like the brand’s prior Voice Control tool, Sonos 27voice is capable of managing audio playback across the Sonos gear in your setup. Basic voice assistant capabilities are also included, such as providing current weather reports, interfacing with compatible smart home devices, and setting timers.
Per the company’s support documentation, the distinguishing feature of Sonos 27voice is its capability to interpret and reply to natural language commands while tackling a much wider array of general knowledge topics. Users might, for instance, request the Bowie space-adventure album so the system picks the correct record, or inquire about the winner of this year’s Super Bowl to get a current reply, as Sonos points out. Furthermore, a simple command allows the assistant to stream music tailored to a specific genre or mood across a chosen speaker or area of the house. Assuming it performs as advertised, this evolution brings the Sonos voice assistant much closer to contemporary AI tools, or at the very least matches the Alexa and Google Assistant integration featured on older speakers from the brand.
Sonos Tests Voice Feature to Avoid App Redesign Blowback
Users interested in trying out Sonos 27voice must submit a request for early access via the Sonos app and await approval, as stated by the firm. To gather user input and presumably steer clear of the negative reaction that followed its troubled 2024 app overhaul, Sonos notes it is evaluating the tool with a limited user base ahead of a full 2027 rollout. Meanwhile, users operating Sonos 27 who care nothing for voice assistants will find two additional new additions called Presets and System Health.
Presets and System Health Join Sonos Features
Saved collections of playback preferences and music choices that can be launched immediately from a Sonos product are known as Presets. Users who enjoy blasting The Black Parade at maximum volume in the garage can store that configuration as a preset inside the Sonos app and launch it using a single tap. Designed exclusively for the iOS edition of the Sonos app, System Health provides a quick overview of system details, displaying metrics like an individual speaker’s Wi-Fi network association or its connection state. Should any element of your speaker configuration appear problematic, Sonos highlights it via System Health to help users resolve the issue.
Sonos 27voice is only available in the US during early access, and only in English. Access to Sonos 27 itself is also limited to hardware that runs on Sonos’ S2 platform.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sonos 27voice
When does early access for Sonos 27voice begin?
Early access testing for Sonos 27voice is scheduled to begin on November 6, according to Engadget.
Where is the early access version available?
Sonos 27voice is only available in the US during early access, and it is limited to English language requests.
What hardware supports Sonos 27?
Access to the Sonos 27 software is limited to hardware that runs on Sonos’ S2 platform.
What are Presets and System Health?
Presets let users save groupings of music and playback settings to start with a single tap, while System Health is an iOS app feature that displays connection status and Wi-Fi network details for individual speakers.
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