Sonos is one of the best-known audio companies in the world, and it might be about to launch a new wireless speaker. An FCC (Federal Communications Commission) filing spotted by The Verge describes a device that uses a wireless charging dock; but it requires less power than the company's Move speaker, suggesting a similar more compact portable smart speaker. The compact shape could mean the device is a cheaper version of the Sonos Move, in the same way that the Apple HomePod mini is a cheaper version of the original HomePod smart speaker. And it could launch soon: Sonos CEO Patrick Spence revealed during an investor call that the brand will launch a new product in March (although there's a chance this new product could easily be Sonos's first headphones as well). While details for the upcoming Sonos speaker are thin in the field, there are a few things we can glean from the FCC filing, as well as plenty of features we'd like to see in the follow-up to the Sonos Move.
Come to the point
- What is it? A new Sonos wireless speaker.
- When will it come out? To be confirmed, but possibly from March 2021.
- How much will it cost? Probably less than the Sonos Move (€ 399 / € 399 / AU € 649).
New Sonos speaker release date
Sonos has yet to confirm the existence of a new wireless speaker, but the company's CEO has revealed that a new product will arrive in March. This is according to a conference call between Spence and the investors. In the call, which was transcribed by Seeking Alpha, Spence said the company remains committed to launching "at least two new products per year" and that "we are excited to introduce our new product next month." The FCC's application for a new Sonos speaker also suggests that a release date may be imminent. Details of the original Sonos Move leaked shortly after its FCC filing (model number S17) was discovered, so the new ``Move Mini'' (S27) could follow a similar path. That said, the next Sonos product may not be a speaker at all. Rumors of the first Sonos headphones have been circulating since 2019, picking up speed in recent months after Sonos obtained a patent for a pair of on-ear headphones, giving us an intriguing glimpse into the long-rumored cans.Price of the new Sonos speaker
So far, there haven't been any solid rumors or leaks regarding the price of the new Sonos speaker, but based on the specs outlined in the FCC filing, the device appears to be a smaller version of the Sonos Move, and that means it's likely too. be cheaper. The Sonos Move is currently $399 / £399 / AU$649, a price that puts it firmly in the high-end of the Bluetooth speaker market; but it wins that award with its array of Sonos intelligence and powerful audio. We'd expect a more compact version of the portable speaker to cost less than that, perhaps around the $200 / £200 / AU$300 mark. However, we'd like to see Sonos drop the price even further. Sonos products are generally very expensive, and while this is often justified by their fantastic audio performance and multi-room capabilities, it means joining the corporate ecosystem is out of reach for many. If Sonos could price its latest Bluetooth speaker around $100 / £100 / AU$150, it could make owning a Sonos sound system much more accessible, with the ability to add as many or as few products as you like. , just like the Apple HomePod mini made it cheaper to join Apple's audio ecosystem.
New Sonos Speaker Features
All the information we have on the new Sonos speaker comes from the recently released FCC file. Test diagrams on file show the speaker will come with a wireless charging station and offer Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) connectivity. This suggests that the new speaker will also function as a portable Bluetooth speaker and connected smart speaker, just like the Sonos Move, and will be the first speaker to support Wi-Fi 5. The presentation also reveals that the new speaker will use less power than the Sonos Move, which suggests it will be smaller. Another indication of the appearance of the new Sonos speaker is the inclusion of a circular label "laser etched around the perimeter of the bottom surface of the device", which implies that the unit will be cylindrical, similar to the popular UE Megaboom 3. The smaller Sonos Move makes a lot of sense. At nearly 3kg, while the current Move speaker can be easily lifted, you won't want to carry it around for long. However, size is a necessity due to the large speaker magnets that power the sound, and it's a fair trade to ensure audio quality. You can expect a smaller version to include smaller drivers and perhaps less powerful sound as a result. Still, we'd expect to see the sleek Sonos design aesthetic transfer to a more compact Sonos Move, with simple control buttons, a wraparound grille, and perhaps a carrying handle built into the speaker's frame.
New Sonos speaker: what we want to see
While the details of the new Sonos speaker are still unclear, we can still come up with a list of some features we'd like to see from the Sonos Move successor. For starters, we'd be happy with an improvement in water and dust resistance, especially if the new speaker is going to be easier to transport than its predecessor. The original Sonos Move has an IP56 rating, which means it can withstand a layer of sand or dust, as well as being dropped in a pool. Raising it to an IP67 rating would make it a serious contender for waterproof speakers like the UE Wonderboom 2 and JBL Flip 5. We'd also like to see a new Sonos speaker that can be used as part of a home theater system, especially if it's cheaper. It's not possible to use two Sonos Move speakers as rear channels for your system, which Sonos says is due to timing issues and the risk of a directional soundtrack losing focus if the speakers aren't positioned correctly in a room. It's a shame, because having a wireless speaker that's portable and can be used to boost the sound of your TV is certainly compelling, and we'd have thought Sonos' Trueplay technology, which uses built-in accelerometers to detect movement, could address this. Another feature we would welcome is an upgrade to Bluetooth 5, which would allow for pairing over longer distances and a more stable connection. The current Sonos Move only supports Bluetooth 4.2, which is now a bit outdated. Finally, we'd like to see a few more color options for the new Sonos speaker. The launch of a mini portable speaker is a great opportunity for Sonos to play around with different color palettes and finishes, although based on the company's preference to date for a black and white aesthetic, we're not sure that's likely. Today's best deals on the Sonos Arc, Sonos Move, Sonos One and Sonos Beam Soundbar