Sonos and Amazon are introducing Alexa voice control features to Sonos devices in 27 new countries. Sonos customers living in these countries will have access to the technology this spring.
By expanding Amazon’s Alexa to Sonos devices in more countries, consumers will get “a new and seamless way to control their Sonos speakers using their voice,” the company suggested. With Alexa, users can set timers, play music, control compatible smart devices and check the weather, among other tasks.
The voice feature will be available on Sonos devices via a free software update in the following countries: Belgium, Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica, Denmark, Colombia, Ecuador, Finland, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Norway, Peru, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Sweden, Thailand, and Turkey.
Joe van Zyl, senior director of product management at Sonos. Explained the decision to expand by stating:
“We believe nothing should come between you and your audio content – that’s why Sonos is committed to providing listeners with easy ways to connect with their favorite content. We’ve seen how our customers Enjoy being able to use Alexa on their Sonos speakers for the voice requests they know and love, like streaming their favorite music and controlling other devices in their smart home. We’re excited to bring Alexa to even more audiences around the world.
Users in the aforementioned 27 countries will get access to the Alexa International version, where users can get voice control in Spanish, English, Italian, German and French.
Features available to users on the Alexa International version include:
- Ask it to play: Enjoy hands-free control of music and TV content with simple commands like, “Alexa, play jazz music,” or “Alexa, pause a movie.” Alexa International version is compatible with Amazon Music, Spotify, and TuneIn for music streaming and Amazon Prime Video and Netflix for video streaming.
- Seize the day: Stay organized with an easy way to set timers and alarms, add events to a shared calendar, adjust a shopping list, get a cookie recipe and more. Start your day by asking Alexa to check the weather or share a flash briefing on today’s news.
- Dial into your home: Create the ideal home environment by controlling your lighting, smart plugs, thermostat, security cameras and more with your voice.
Individuals can access Alexa on Sonos voice-enabled devices, such as Arc, Beam, Five, One, Room, and Move. They can also choose the audio service they want for each speaker or choose “multiple audio services on a single system for compatible devices.”
