Sonos 'Move' portable Bluetooth speaker and dock images leak
The first images of what Sonos' first attempt at a portable Bluetooth speaker have leaked, with the HomePod competitor Sonos 'Move' offering smart speaker abilities while also able to be used both with and separately from an existing Sonos speaker network via the addition of Bluetooth.
The speaker is a portable unit that is cylindrical in shape, though it has a recess at the back for easier moving of the unit that also hides extra buttons for power and toggling between modes. Around most of the front of the speaker is a grille, that extends around the sides and near to the rear alcove.
Unlike others in the range, it also is supplied with a dock ring that can recharge its battery using a pair of contacts, images from WinFuture reveal. Along with the dock, a USB Type-C connection can be used for charging, though it is unknown how much battery power is provided, nor if the physical connection could be used to provide power to other devices.
The key addition to the Sonos Move appears to be the inclusion of Bluetooth support, allowing it to be used to play audio from practically any device with Bluetooth connectivity. The unit can switch modes between working as part of a speaker network at home and Bluetooth, which means the portable speaker could easily be taken from the home and used elsewhere.
Six speakers are also included to enable its smart speaker functionality, with it including support for both the Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa, with the latter enabling the use of Apple Music hands-free. Support for Apple's AirPlay 2 is also touted for the unit.
It is unclear exactly how much the HomePod competitor will cost, as well as other information such as weatherproofing. More details are likely to arrive this month, as Sonos is holding a media event on August 26 which may feature the speaker's launch.
The speaker is a portable unit that is cylindrical in shape, though it has a recess at the back for easier moving of the unit that also hides extra buttons for power and toggling between modes. Around most of the front of the speaker is a grille, that extends around the sides and near to the rear alcove.
Unlike others in the range, it also is supplied with a dock ring that can recharge its battery using a pair of contacts, images from WinFuture reveal. Along with the dock, a USB Type-C connection can be used for charging, though it is unknown how much battery power is provided, nor if the physical connection could be used to provide power to other devices.
The key addition to the Sonos Move appears to be the inclusion of Bluetooth support, allowing it to be used to play audio from practically any device with Bluetooth connectivity. The unit can switch modes between working as part of a speaker network at home and Bluetooth, which means the portable speaker could easily be taken from the home and used elsewhere.
Six speakers are also included to enable its smart speaker functionality, with it including support for both the Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa, with the latter enabling the use of Apple Music hands-free. Support for Apple's AirPlay 2 is also touted for the unit.
It is unclear exactly how much the HomePod competitor will cost, as well as other information such as weatherproofing. More details are likely to arrive this month, as Sonos is holding a media event on August 26 which may feature the speaker's launch.
Comments
Whilst I am sure there is a market for this - personally I prefer my Bluetooth speakers to be cheap and cheerful so I can to take it to the pool/beach/hotel without needing to be too worried about it getting ruined or stolen.
I'm currently using an Amazon Tap for the backyard, but I sure could use a pair of these!
Still, it does make a good case study of why other brands sunset old products. There are limitations to the Sonos system that can only be attributed to maintaining extreme backward compatibility:
- No High Res audio can be streamed to Sonos devices
- Any local Music Library is limited to 65,000 (or so) tracks (you can use Plex to serve up a local collection of audio files [not audiophiles, though that would be an interesting party!] which is a nice, but nerdy, way to sidestep this limitation)
- Sonos App has been slow in integrating the developing native multi-room speakers systems of other tech vendors (ie: AirPlay 2) or voice control (Alexa, etc.) and in a bit of a break from Sonos' typical policy, this capability has been added only to new(ish) devices with capability to work with older devices if a newer unit helps out
These drawbacks are more of a side-effect of Sonos being early to the multi-room audio and succeeding in a way that the original designers never anticipated while being co-opted by communities (audiophiles, again) they weren't really targeting at first.A cautionary tale of being a victim of your own success. Apple fans are only too familiar with stories like that.