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cloudstrife
Contributor I
March 9, 2019

Sonos too cheap? And exploiting customers?

Now that the Sonos One has arrived in Gen 2 only to sport more RAM and CPU I cannot help to think they pushed the original with undermined specs to earn more money and be greedy.

Maybe that's why they can't push google assistant yet? Because the device has too little ram and cpu power? Maybe its just too underpowered? Maybe they even knew that and that the developers had to find a creative solution to this? And that is really hard for them. That's why GA never comes out or will have limited functions (like alexa).

This is just a feeling I have and it makes sense. I feel very ripped off by sonos because of no GA yet.
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    9 replies

    Smilja
    Smilja
    March 9, 2019
    Google Assistant, like Alexa, is an IT cloud-based solution. Meaning, apart from the basic requirement that microphones are built into the speaker, the hardware specifications are completely irrelevant. Moreover, those who have not yet purchased a ONE or Beam will probably be able to use their Google Home as a mediator.
    »And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space, Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.« (›Windmills Of Your Mind‹ [1967]. Music by Michel Legrand ; English lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman)
    controlav
    controlav
    Lead Maestro
    March 9, 2019
    the hardware specifications are completely irrelevant. Not at all. Sure, the voice stuff is done in the cloud, but to run the equivalent of the Echo firmware, as well as the original Sonos firmware, and then also the Google firmware, no doubt requires more ram and cpu in the Sonos device than just running the original Sonos code.
    Author of the leading independent Sonos apps for Android, MacOS, iOS, Windows and Xbox.
    Smilja
    Smilja
    March 9, 2019
    Never heard of that the ONE/Beam are running an equivalent of the Echo firmware.
    »And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space, Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.« (›Windmills Of Your Mind‹ [1967]. Music by Michel Legrand ; English lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman)
    Sjoop1985
    Sjoop1985
    March 9, 2019
    I would assume that there is only one firmware to run: Sonos firmware. This needs to provide the client part of the AI function and send the data to either the Amazon or Google backend. I doubt that will mean that it is three times as "heavy" as the original Sonos firmware.
    Following this rationale, Sonos would have never been able to grow the amount of streaming services over the years, if it needed to run separate firmware for each.

    The original One was built with voice control in mind and knowing Sonos, with support for more than one voice control system in mind, so I'm not that worried. On the Dutch forum I've seen Sonos reps mention that the CPU is not necessarily more powerful and there's not more memory, just different hardware. We have no specs, so we cannot judge.

    I'm not an Alexa user, so I cannot comment on this, but isn't the limited Alexa support not also due to Amazons support? Furthermore there have been demos at CES and there is a closed beta, for Google Assistant, so there is already a working version.

    That said, I sure hope I'm right, because if the OP is right, it could be more than frustrating for anyone with an original One who has been waiting for Google Assistant for so long, to have to settle for a subpar user experience.
    Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans (John Lennon) --- Living room: Arc, Sub, 2x One - Kitchen: One - Bedroom: Play 3 - Office: Beam - Bathroom: Play 1
    Smilja
    Smilja
    March 9, 2019
    [...] That said, I sure hope I'm right, because if the OP is right, it could be more than frustrating for anyone with an original One who has been waiting for Google Assistant for so long, to have to settle for a subpar user experience.
    No, I venture he/she has purely given vent to their feelings about being "very ripped off by sonos because of no GA yet".
    »And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space, Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.« (›Windmills Of Your Mind‹ [1967]. Music by Michel Legrand ; English lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman)
    Sjoop1985
    Sjoop1985
    March 9, 2019
    Didn't even notice that last line in the OP. To all these people who apparently think that the only reason to buy Sonos is as a smart speaker I say: yes, you bought the wrong product and should have bought an Echo or Google Home.
    Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans (John Lennon) --- Living room: Arc, Sub, 2x One - Kitchen: One - Bedroom: Play 3 - Office: Beam - Bathroom: Play 1
    jgatie
    jgatie
    March 9, 2019
    Sonos reps have stated the Ggogle Home implementation will be compatible with both generations of the One, as well as the Beam. The OP is nothing but rank speculation and paranoia.
    chicks
    chicks
    March 9, 2019
    Yes, such a ridiculous thread.
    Damon77
    Damon77
    Enthusiast II
    March 9, 2019
    Let's also not forget that Sonos has done this before with several products, just never publicly announced it. Maybe them doing that now has something to do with being a public company?
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