- Best Buy Canada leaked a listing page for the ‘Sonos Play’ speaker, but it has since been removed
- It is expected to arrive on March 31 and costs $399.99
- 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, as leaks of a new Sonos portable Bluetooth speaker suggest the audio giant could discontinue 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 specs, but has since been removed. Luckily, a Reddit user managed to snap a few 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 CAD (or about $300 USD), although international pricing has not yet been announced. It is expected to arrive as early as March 31, but Sonos has neither confirmed nor denied the launch date.
At first glance, it appears that the Sonos Play will serve as a mid-range option in Sonos’ Bluetooth speaker lineup, which includes the Sonos Roam 2 ($179/$179) and the significantly larger and premium Sonos Move 2 ($499/£449), both of which are among the best Bluetooth speakers we know of. But let’s move on to the specifications.
Larger than Roam, smaller than Move 2
Before removing the listing, Best Buy’s product overview shared the following: “Take great 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 recharging.
Design-wise, Sonos remains consistent and the new Bluetooth speaker doesn’t feature any crazy design changes that are out of the ordinary for the brand. Its shape is reminiscent of the UE Epicboom speaker, featuring a convenient carrying strap, 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, allowing you to use the speaker as a battery.
When it comes to dimensions, it’s likely that Best Buy got this one wrong. The listing screenshots show that the Sonos Play speaker measures 19.23cm wide, 11.25cm deep, and 7.67cm tall, which, looking at the product image, definitely doesn’t measure just under 8cm tall. It’s likely that these were mixed up (I’m guessing the actual dimensions are H7.5″, W4.5″, D3), which suggests that someone at Best Buy might have released the listing a little too quickly.
Despite this confusion, its size provides an ideal starting point for Sonos’ adventure into mid-range speakers. Although the Sonos Move 2 is a powerful speaker suitable for indoor and outdoor use, its bulky size contradicts the portability aspect of Bluetooth speakers, while the Sonos Roam is the ideal portable audio companion, but doesn’t really impact 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 preview, Sonos’ flagship sound optimization tool Trueplay is coming to the Play speaker, which adjusts audio based on your surroundings and speaker placement.
Although Best Buy quickly eradicated all traces of its Sonos Play listing, its early images were well-received online, even though they cost $400 – although that price point is standard for Sonos. That said, we know Sonos has other tricks up its sleeve – another app redesign is apparently in the works – so a new Bluetooth speaker would be very welcome alongside a new app redesign.
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on YouTube And TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp Also
