Sonos Quiet as Reports Fly About Upcoming Speaker With Bluetooth

Sonos didn’t comment on widespread reports it’s finally introducing a portable Bluetooth speaker. Tech websites have been following leaks of the rumored device that would allow users to take a Sonos speaker on a road trip, a picnic or to the backyard and listen to music out of Wi-Fi range. The Verge reposted an item from German tech website WinFuture showing a black Sonos speaker sitting on a credenza, with a built-in handle and base station in a housing a bit more oval than the Sonos One. Sonos users have been clamoring for years (see 1801230051) for a speaker with Bluetooth, while Sonos has used Bluetooth as a foil for comparisons to its Wi-Fi technology. At its New York store in 2016, a chart comparing Bluetooth speakers with a Sonos system (see 1607200023) touted the ability to keep playing even after the smartphone source left the house through its long list of music services. The rumored Sonos portable speaker would connect at home like a standard Sonos system over the dedicated peer-to-peer Sonosnet, according to reports. A Sonos spokesman emailed us Thursday: “We’re always working on new experiences for our customers,” but wouldn’t comment on Sonos’ product road map. The company is holding a news-media event in New York Monday for an announcement embargoed until Sept. 5. Bose announced its own portable Bluetooth speaker Thursday (see 1908220047), an Alexa and Google Assistant-enabled smart speaker, due in stores Sept. 19.