Sony LF-S50G review: Google Assistant and then some

Name: Sony LF-S50G review: Google Assistant and then some
Item: Sony LF-S50G review: Google Assistant and then some
Rating: 3.00
Author: Fergus Halliday

Fergus Halliday

PC World

@Cvamped

06/11/17

Expert Rating

3.00 / 5

Pros

IPX3 rating
Slightly deeper sound

Cons

Less compact form-factor
Gesture controls often unreliable

Bottom Line

If the built-in clock interface, the IPX3-rating and the gesture commands strike a chord, this might be a smart speaker worth a serious look. However, if you want the best possible sound for your smart speaker setup, it may well be worth waiting for better options.

Would you buy this?

Yes 33
No 9

Price
$ 249.00 (AUD)

The Pitch

We’ve more-or-less made it through first stage of the smart speaker category: proving that products like Amazon Alexa and Google Home are worth your time, attention and money. Even if they’re not exactly necessary - these are still luxury consumer electronics products - the battle to demonstrate and communicate their usefulness has more-or-less been won.

Now, we’re up to the second stage: expansion and diversification. On paper, any company can try to build a better speaker than Google or Amazon whilst leveraging the same software. There are always going to be those who want to stay true to purest version of the Google Assistant experience. However, for everyone else, it’s important to have options.

Sony’s new LF-F50G promises to provide just that: an experience that’s exactly every bit as smart as Google’s own offering - but with a few added perks to justify the higher price-tag.

Specs

The Sony LF-S50G is a mono-aural smart speaker that produces 360-degree audio using two speaker units (a 48mm satellite and a 53mm subwoofer) bridged by a two-way diffuser. It’s IPX3-rated against splash damage and boasts Bluetooth, NFC and Wi-Fi connectivity.