Smart speakers are all the rage among OEMs. While smart speakers have exploded in popularity, they still have a long way to go. Joining Apple, Anker, Google, and other OEMs, Sony today unveiled its own smart speaker: the LF-S50G.
At first glance, you might mistake Sony’s new connected speaker to be Apple’s own HomePod. The design of both smart speakers are very similar to each other, but it differs from Apple’s upcoming offering in almost every other way. Unlike HomePod, Sony’s smart speaker runs on Google Assistant. This means that you can shout “Ok Google” to bring up Google Assistant and ask your questions or control other devices around you.
The speaker features a built-in clock at the front. It also features gesture control to control music playback, adjust volume, skip tracks etc. The speaker supports multi-room audio and features NFC, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
In terms of sound system, the LF-S50G features a full-range speaker, a subwoofer, and an omnidirectional two-stage diffuser to spread the sound output across a room. The music quality of the speaker remains to be seen but it is unlikely that it will be better than Apple’s HomePod.
Sony’s smart speaker will hit the market in October for $199.99. It will be available in white and black colors.
Sony is not the only company to have unveiled a Google Assistant-powered smart speaker. Anker and Panasonic have already announced their own smart speakers running Google Assistant, with more companies to follow at IFA 2017.
