- Best Buy Canada leaked a listing page for the ‘Sonos Play’ speaker, but it has since been deleted
- It is set to arrive on March 31st 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 Sonos portable Bluetooth speaker suggest the audio giant could be dropping the device immediately – and people are already liking what they see.
Dubbed the ‘Sonos Play’, the speaker was leaked on Best Buy Canada’s website with a full gallery of images and a thorough list of specs, but has since been removed. Luckily, a user on Reddit managed to take some photos 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 CAD $399.99 (or around USD $300 / AUD $420), although international pricing has yet to be announced. It’s reportedly arriving as early as March 31, but Sonos hasn’t confirmed or denied the launch date.
At first glance, it looks like the Sonos Play will act as the midrange option in Sonos’ range of Bluetooth speakers, which consists of the Sonos Roam 2 ($179 / $179 / AU$299) and the significantly larger, higher-end Sonos Move 2 ($499 / £449 / AU$799 / AU$799, the best Bluetooth speakers are some). But let’s get into the specs.
Bigger than Roam, smaller than Move 2
Before the listing was removed, Best Buy’s product listing shared the following: “Take quality sound with you wherever you go with the wireless Sonos Play Bluetooth speaker. Its compact design fits easily in the hand, while automatic Trueplay tuning optimizes the sound for any environment. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth allow you to stream high-quality audio from various devices and sources. Up to 24 hours of battery life avoids the need for frequent recharging.”
Design-wise, Sonos keeps it cohesive, 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, which includes a convenient carrying strap, 24-hour battery life, a wireless charging base, an aux port for connecting to other audio devices such as turntables, and a USB-C port so you can use the speaker as a battery pack.
As for dimensions, it’s likely that Best Buy messed with this one. The listing screenshots show that the Sonos Play speaker is W19.23cm, D11.25cm, H7.67cm, which, looking at the product image, is definitely not quite under 8cm tall. It’s likely that these got mixed up (I’d guess the real measurements are H19.23cm, W11.25cm, D7.67cm), which suggests that someone at Best Buy might have published the listing a little too quickly.
Despite this mix-up, the size is a perfect starting point for Sonos’ bet on midrange speakers. While 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 quite appreciate the battery life.
In addition to WiFi connectivity, the Best Buy listing reveals that the Sonos Play will support Apple AirPlay 2 and Alexa, in addition to Spotify and Sonos app compatibility. According to the listing, Sonos’ flagship audio optimization tool Trueplay is coming to the Play speaker, which adjusts the sound based on your surroundings and speaker placement.
Although Best Buy was quick to eradicate all traces of its Sonos Play listing, its first-look images have been well-received online, even though it comes in at $400 — even though that price point is standard for Sonos. That said, we know Sonos has other tricks up its sleeve – it apparently has another app overhaul on the way – so a new Bluetooth speaker would be very welcome along with a new app redesign.
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