Sonos announced today that it is going to be releasing a new app and operating system in June.
This new app and OS is going to be needed to support Hi-Res Audio, and that could also mean that Dolby Atmos support is coming soon too.
It will be called “Sonos S2”.
Sonos S2 will still run on most of the company’s current products
It’s still early, so Sonos hasn’t shared a lot of details on what products Sonos S2 will be compatible with. But it does say that it will work with many of its current products, and it would be the foundation for its future devices.
Now, obviously that means that older, legacy Sonos products will be left behind and stop receiving new features. But for those that aren’t super keen on having to have Hi-Res audio or Dolby Atmos support, that might not be a bad thing.
When Sonos refers to “Legacy” devices, they essentially mean anything that was manufactured between 2011 and 2015. Including the Sonos Play:5, Zone Players, and Connect / Connect:Amp devices. Any newer devices should support Sonos S2. Including the One, Beam, Move, etc.
Obviously switching to a new OS is going to provide expanded capabilities. Sonos S2 could be using Hi-Fi the same way that Amazon’s Echo Studio does. It also means that Dolby Atmos could be a key feature in the next home theater sound bar or sound system from Sonos.
It will still support Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
The good news with this new Sonos app is that it is still going to support both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. So you won’t have to worry about the new platform ditching the smart speaker features. And you’ll still be able to use either Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, whichever you prefer to use.
Though Sonos may be looking to create its own digital assistant that would work on its speakers, so it is possible that it could also be another option for users. But as for now, Sonos S2 is going to be sticking with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Sonos will also be enhancing the group playback function on its new platform, so that you can get some pretty cool features from group play. And it’ll still sound really good. Which is impressive since Sonos is still leading the pack in that area.
We should find out more about Sonos S2 around June.