- Best Buy Canada leaked a listing page for the ‘Sonos Play’ speaker, but it has since been removed
- It is scheduled to arrive on March 31 and costs $399.99.
- The new Bluetooth speaker could be Sonos’ mid-range option alongside the Roam 2 and Move 2
Apple isn’t the only one with new devices on the way, as leaks of a new portable Bluetooth speaker from Sonos hint that the audio giant could abandon the device imminently, and people are already liking what they see.
Dubbed ‘Sonos Play’, the speaker was leaked on Best Buy Canada’s site with a full gallery of images and a full list of specifications, but has since been removed. Luckily, a Reddit user managed to snap some images before the listing was removed from Best Buy’s online store (see below).
sonos from r/sonos/comments/1ri2yqr/upcoming_sonos_portable_speaker
According to the listing, the Sonos Play portable speaker will be available in black or white and will cost $399.99 Canadian (or about $300 US), although international pricing has yet to be announced. It will supposedly arrive on March 31, but Sonos has neither confirmed nor denied the release date.
At first glance, it looks like the Sonos Play will serve as the mid-range option in Sonos’ Bluetooth speaker lineup, which consists of the Sonos Roam 2 ($179 / $179) and the significantly larger and higher-end Sonos Move 2 ($499 / £449), both of which are some of the best Bluetooth speakers we know of. But let’s get into the specifications.
Bigger than Roam, smaller than Move 2
Before the listing was removed, Best Buy’s product overview shared the following: “Take quality sound wherever you go with the Sonos Play wireless Bluetooth speaker. Its compact design fits easily in your hand, while Trueplay auto-tuning optimizes audio for any environment. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth allow you to stream high-quality audio from different devices and sources. Up to 24 hours of battery life eliminates the need for frequent recharges.”
As for the design, Sonos keeps it consistent and the new Bluetooth speaker doesn’t have any crazy design changes that are out of the ordinary for the brand. Its shape is reminiscent of the UE Epicboom speaker, with a practical carrying strap, a 24-hour battery life, a wireless charging base, an auxiliary port for connecting to other audio devices such as turntables, and a USB-C port, which allows you to use the speaker as a battery.
As for dimensions, Best Buy probably got this one wrong. The listing screenshots show that the Sonos Play speaker measures 19.23 cm wide, 11.25 cm deep and 7.67 cm high, which, looking at the product image, is definitely no less than 8 cm high. They may have been mixed up (I’m guessing the actual dimensions are H19.23cm, W11.25cm, D7.67cm), which suggests that someone at Best Buy may have posted the listing too soon.
Despite this confusion, its size is a perfect starting point for Sonos’ foray into mid-range speakers. Although the Sonos Move 2 is a powerful speaker suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, its bulky size belies the portability aspect of Bluetooth speakers, while the Sonos Roam is the ideal portable audio companion but doesn’t pack much punch in terms of battery life.
In addition to WiFi connectivity, the Best Buy listing reveals that the Sonos Play will support Apple AirPlay 2 and Alexa, plus support for the Spotify and Sonos apps. According to the listing overview, Sonos’ flagship sound optimization tool, Trueplay, is coming to the Play speaker, which tunes audio based on your environment and speaker placement.
Although Best Buy was quick to eradicate all traces of its Sonos Play listing, its first images have been well received online, even though it costs $400, although that price level is standard for Sonos. That said, we know Sonos has other tricks up its sleeve (it’s apparently working on another overhaul of its app), so a new Bluetooth speaker would be very welcome along with a new redesign of the app.
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