Bluetooth
Bluetooth and NFC could well be the main selling points that set the Sony apart from the Google Home. I have used Plex to stream music to my Google Home via Chromecast for years. Is Bluetooth the better way?
Admittedly Bluetooth and NFC will be so much better if Sony is battery powered - turning this into a true wireless speaker. Google Assistant requires an Internet connection to function, and that means it’s already using WIFI. Are Bluetooth and NFC really necessary given the speaker is already connected to WIFI? Why use Bluetooth at all when I could have used WIFI to stream music (Chromecast)? Happy to report from a usability perspective, Bluetooth works surprisingly well. Linked my mobile phone to the Sony via Bluetooth, starts the Plex APP on my mobile, queue the music and hit ‘Play’.
Sony slightly missed the mark with Bluetooth by allowing only audio but not microphone. Imagine using this to answer a call when your hands are tied, or you are busy in cooking in the kitchen. The gestures and Bluetooth connectively will all make sense then! Alas that was not to be.
The power of Bluetooth remains untapped. Hopefully Sony will update the firmware to include microphone support.
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