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Sonos hints at smart speaker in privacy policy update

Sonos hints at smart speaker in privacy policy update

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Sonos plans to release new speakers with built-in microphones, likely with Alexa built in, and it wants to make sure you get every single hint. Its latest tease is an update to its privacy policy to cover voice assistants and microphones, which includes a not-so-subtle hint that voice-enabled Sonos products aren’t far off.

Voice control works by your voice-enabled Sonos Product “listening” for a specific wake word. Please note that not all Sonos Products are voice-enabled.

In a statement to Variety, a Sonos rep said the new privacy policy will cover additional voice assistants besides Alexa (which is already being integrated with Sonos) and “any future products” Sonos may release. “It covers those things that we’ve already talked about like Alexa integration, currently in private beta. It also covers future voice experiences like additional voice assistants and any future products with integrated microphones,” the rep told Variety.

Despite all the hints, we still don’t know what to expect from Sonos’ next wave of speakers. With no far-field microphones in its current line of speakers (sorry current Sonos owners) we’re likely to get redesigned speakers, as it’d be tough to release the same speakers with microphones at the same price. And it’ll probably sound better as well, but whether Sonos sticks to its current lineup or introduces an entirely new format remains to be seen.

With competition on the high end from Apple, and possibly from Amazon in the future, Sonos is preparing for real competition — something it hasn’t had in years.