Sony has finally started the roll out of Google Assistant support for its Sony WH-1000XM2 and Sony WI-1000X wireless headphones. This comes months after the Japanese electronics major promised back at CES 2018 that some of its existing audio products would receive Google Assistant integration. The update carrying version 2.0 is rolling out to the over-ear WH-1000XM2 headphones and the in-ear WI-1000MX earphones, reported Android Police. It is available as via OTA (over the air) update which Sony says is available to download right now for all customers.
However, Sony lately pulled the rollout of update due to unknown reasons. The company in its official statement said, “We apologise for the inconvenience, but the release of this software update has been delayed.We are working on the issue and will release the update as soon as possible.”
It seems the update was stalled for some unforeseen reasons but Sony will be resuming this update soon. This new integration allows you direct access to Google Assistant on iOS devices.
Sure you can already trigger the Assistant by pressing and holding of the call button, but the full integration offers you additional benefits. To enable this feature, once the firmware is updated, all you need to do is to enable the “Google Assistant” option in the “Change function of [NC/AMBIENT] button” menu.
The users can then change the noise cancellation/ambient noise toggle to trigger the Assistant. With Google Assistant integration, the update brings features such as iOS device support, voice notifications and faster push-to-talk capabilities. This means users with the update will be able to have notifications read out aloud by the Assistant.
Sony is indeed living up to its promise of bringing Assistant support for both new headphones and old. The company promised Assistant integration for WF-1000X, WH-CH900N, and h.ear on 2 WH-900N and these are next in line to get the update.
Back at CES 2018, Sony showcased several new headphones including WF-SP700N noise-cancelling headset, WI-S600N sports-centric headset, MDR-1AM2 headphones, and other Extra Bass options. Among these, the WF-SP700N and WI-S600N were announced to get support for Google Assistant. So there are number of headsets that are expected to be updated in coming days.
