Sonos and Amazon are introducing Alexa’s voice control features on Sonos devices in 27 new countries. Sonos customers residing in these countries will access the technology this spring.
The company suggested that by expanding Amazon’s Alexa on Sonos devices in more countries, users would achieve “a new and seamless way to control their Sonos speakers using their voice.” With Alexa, users can set timers, play music, control compatible smart devices, and check the weather, among other tasks.
Through a free software update, the voice feature on Sonos devices would be available in the 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, the Senior Director of Product Management at Sonos, described the decision to expand by stating:
“We believe nothing should get between you and your audio content - that’s why Sonos is committed to giving listeners effortless ways to connect to the content they love. We’ve seen how our customers enjoy being able to use Alexa on their Sonos speakers for voice requests they know and love, such as streaming their favorite music and controlling other devices in their smart home. We’re thrilled to bring Alexa to more listeners around the world.”
Customers in the 27 countries mentioned above will access Alexa International Version, where users can get voice control in Spanish, English, Italian, German, and French.
Features available on Alexa International Version to users include:
- Say it to play it: Enjoy seamless, hands-free control of music and TV content with simple commands like, “Alexa, play jazz music,” or “Alexa, pause the 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. Jumpstart your day by asking Alexa to check the weather or share a flash briefing of today’s news.
- Dial in your home: Create the ideal home environment by controlling your lighting, smart plugs, thermostats, security cameras, and more with your voice.
Individuals can access Alexa on Sonos voice-enabled devices, such as Arc, Beam, Five, One, Roam, and Move. They can also choose their desired voice service for each speaker or opt for “multiple voice services on a single system for compatible devices.”