Sony's new connected speaker, the LF-S50G, looks a lot like Apple’s HomePod. It works like a HomePod, too, except it relies on Google Assistant and not Siri. Sony compares its product to the Google Home and says it stands out in the home speaker market because of its sound quality, which make sense for Sony to say.

The device features a full-range speaker for vocal and treble notes, a subwoofer for bass, and an omnidirectional two-stage diffuser to spread sound across the room. It can pair over Bluetooth, NFC, or Wi-Fi, and supports multi-room audio controls. It's also splash-proof and is available in white or black.

Unlike the Google Home, Sony's speaker recognizes gesture controls to play music, skip tracks, or adjust the volume. I guess gesture controls make for a good alternative if you don't feel like shouting to your speaker during a party. The LF-S50G will be out in October for $199.99.

Multiple other Google Assistant-equipped speakers already debuted at IFA this year. Google released its assistant SDK in May to speaker manufacturers and followed up yesterday to announce three third-party devices. Anker's new Zolo Mojo will only cost $70 and likely won't produce the best audio quality available. Panasonic is also supposed to announced its GA10 speaker, but details are sparse as of publishing.

Source :  The Verge