AirPlay 2 support arrives on Sonos speakers for all your Apple audio needs
AirPlay 2, the latest version of Apple’s audio streaming technology, is now available on Sonos speakers, meaning you’ll be able to stream music from compatible services without having to leave their respective apps.
The obvious beneficiary will be Apple Music. Although the service has been available through the official Sonos app previously, you’ll now be able to control playback directly from the Apple Music app on iOS devices.
Related: What is AirPlay 2?
However, the addition of AirPlay 2 will also come with other advantages. You’ll be able to stream from any Mac computer in addition to your iOS phone or tablet, and you’ll also be able to control playback by talking to Siri, either on your phone or through a HomePod or Apple TV 4K.
Unfortunately, the upgrade isn’t coming to all Sonos speakers. If you own a newer device such as the Play:5, Playbase or Sonos One then you’ll get the upgrade, but older devices such as the Play:1 or Play:3 won’t be able to support it. Make sure you’re running the latest software update in order to get the functionality.
Embracing third-party tech
Sonos originally focused on offering streaming natively through its own app, but in recent years it has branched out into offering support for third-party technologies such as Spotify Connect.
It’s not that Sonos’ own app is bad, it’s just that it can’t possibly hope to compete with the native experience offered by the likes of Spotify and Apple Music.
AirPlay 2 support was first announced by Sonos back in October last year, but it’s taken until now to actually come out.
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The next big update we’re expecting from Sonos is the long-anticipated support for Google Assistant. When the Sonos One first launched it came with support for Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant, but it promised that support for Google would be coming in 2018.
When the update finally arrives, the Sonos One will be the only smart speaker to support both assistants.
Will you be using AirPlay 2 to control your Sonos speaker, or will you stick to the native app? Let us know @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.