Turns out, Sonos is making another portable Bluetooth speaker called the Sonos Roam which will be available starting on April 20 for $169 (around £120, AU$220).
While that sticker price is still a bit high for a portable Bluetooth speaker, the Sonos Roam could in fact be the cheapest Sonos speaker on the market, undercutting the Sonos One SL which costs $179 (£179/ AU$269).
The Roam will be available in two colors (black and white) and will be much smaller than Sonos’ previous portable Bluetooth speaker, the Sonos Move. That's according to an inside source who spoke to The Verge as well as some internal press photos of the speaker obtained by the publication.
How small will it be? Per that report, the Sonos Roam measures in at 6.5 x 2.5 x 2.5 inches and weighs around a pound, and bears some slight resemblance to a stage monitor speaker thanks to its rounded, triangular shape.
Like the Move, the Sonos Roam can connect with your Wi-Fi network when you’re at home, functioning just like any other regular Sonos speaker, and be taken out of the house and paired with your phone like a regular Bluetooth speaker.
Additionally, the speaker will be fully waterproof and will last up to 10 hours per charge, per The Verge. When it comes time to charge, the Sonos Roam will come with a charging cable inside the box, but the source claims that there will also be a separate charging dock available to purchase for $49 (around £35, AU$60) as well.
Exclusive: this is the Sonos Roam, coming in April for $169 https://t.co/7NGKfKS4Jb pic.twitter.com/FIBEjW3S8TMarch 4, 2021
We’ll hear more about the Sonos Roam on March 9
While today’s leak gives us a pretty good idea of what to expect from the Sonos Roam, we’ll get additional information on the speaker at Sonos’ March 9 event that's being held on Tuesday of next week.
The unveiling of the Roam ahead of time likely won't make Sonos very happy, but it isn't all that unexpected given the invite had a person hiking outside on it and we had seen an FCC filing on the speaker last month.
What is a little disappointing about the speaker if The Verge’s reporting is accurate, however, is that the speaker will retail for $169 and not $99 as some earlier reports had suggested. Admittedly $169 isn’t bad for a portable, waterproof speaker but $99 seems to be the sweet spot for the UE Boom 3 and Sony SRS-XB23 speakers.
Regardless, the Sonos Roam will be the cheapest Sonos speaker at launch, and that in itself is a step in the right direction.
- Looking to buy some new gear? Don't miss our guide to the best wireless speakers
