Sonos has confirmed which of its speakers are getting the AirPlay 2 audio update from Apple. In the coming weeks, the Play:5, Playbase and Sonos One will all start getting Apple AirPlay 2 support.
And, as a welcome extra for die-hard Sonos fans, the extra processing power of the newer speakers can be used to allow older Sonos gear to piggyback and gain the benefits of the AirPlay 2 feature, giving you around-the-home control of all your Sonos devices.
What does AirPlay 2 offer?
Now, as Sonos owners will know, the connected speaker system already offers multi-room audio, while the Sonos One goes a step further and offers Alexa voice control integration too. So what will AirPlay 2 offer?
It's really an upgrade in convenience for those locked-in to Apple's ecosystem. The update will make your speaker compatible with the Home app, letting it become part of smart home automation routines, and making multi-room control of the devices possible through Apple's own smart home controller.
In addition, it'll be a fantastic party feature, as it allows multiple iOS users on a network to independently add songs to a playlist, without the need to share devices or disconnect a lead device first.
With the combination of AirPlay support, Amazon's Alexa in its Sonos One speaker and it's own multi-room capabilities, its good to see Sonos making the right moves to stay one step ahead of the smart speaker competition.
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