The Verge has shared new details and images of the next Sonos speaker, and it looks to address many of the complaints people had with the Sonos Move. It’s called the Sonos Roam, and like the Move before it, it will have the ability to play audio over both WiFi and Bluetooth connections. But the big reveal is that it will reportedly cost $169 when it goes on sale on April 20th. That’s probably more than most people want to spend on a Bluetooth speaker but it is a significant discount on the Move’s current $399 price tag. Just as important, it looks to be more portable than that device, measuring at 6.5 x 2.5 x 2.5 inches and weighing about a pound.
The Verge
Battery life is said to be in the 10-hour range on a full charge. The speaker will feature a USB-C port for topping it up. Additionally, The Verge reports you’ll be able to buy a $49 wireless charging dock for the speaker. We’ll note here the Sonos Move comes with one of those included in the box. Roam will also include waterproofing to some extent, though The Verge didn’t have an IP rating to share. And as with every other Sonos speaker, the company will offer it in two colors: white and black.
One thing the leak doesn’t answer is how the Roam will help Sonos to stay relevant in a challenging market. A new, more affordable portable speaker is a smart addition to the company’s lineup but it does little to help with its main problem. In Apple, Amazon and Google, the company faces competitors on all sides. The HomePod mini, Echo and Nest Audio may not sound as good as the venerable Sonos One, but they all punch above their $100 price tags. We’ll have to wait until March 9th to get a better answer to that question.
