Google Assistant comes to Sony's top-tier noise-cancelling headphones

Sony and Google have announced that the award-winning Sony WH-1000XM2 and Sony WI-1000X Headphones will now be compatible with Google Assistant. 

The headphones previously worked with whatever digital assistant came built into your phone, but the new update will allow iOS users to chat one-on-one with Google Assistant while wearing Sony’s headphones.

Google Assistant will be rolling out to the headphones via an OTA update, which Sony says should be available to download right now for free to all customers. 

This added functionality helps these Sony headphones rival the Bose QuietComfort 35 II, another pair of  leading noise-cancelling headphones that came built-in with the feature at launch. The only difference between the two headphones now, at least in terms of Google Assistant functionality, is that the Bose QC35 II have a dedicated Assistant button, while the Sony headphones require you to push and hold the call button to call up Google’s cloud-based AI. 

While the Sony WI-1000X and Sony WH-1000XM2 are the first two headphones to get the Google Assistant update, Sony has said in the past that it would also make Google Assistant available on the WF-1000X, WH-CH900N, and h.ear on 2 WH-H900N sometime in the future as well. 

Via Android Police

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Nick Pino

Nick Pino is Managing Editor, TV and AV for TechRadar's sister site, Tom's Guide. Previously, he was the Senior Editor of Home Entertainment at TechRadar, covering TVs, headphones, speakers, video games, VR and streaming devices. He's also written for GamesRadar+, Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer and other outlets over the last decade, and he has a degree in computer science he's not using if anyone wants it.

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