Sonos has officially announced the Sonos Play, a new portable speaker designed to work both inside the home and on the move.
The announcement follows an earlier slip-up by Best Buy that briefly revealed the product ahead of schedule. However, the company has now confirmed the details alongside a second speaker called the Era 100 SL.
The Sonos Play is positioned as one of the brand’s most flexible speakers yet. It connects over Wi-Fi so it can slot straight into the wider Sonos system.
This lets users group speakers across rooms or pair two units for stereo sound. At the same time, it’s built to travel. The speaker offers 24 hours of battery life and an IP67-rated waterproof design for outdoor use.
Sonos is also adding a Wireless Charging Base that keeps the speaker powered at home while acting as a docking point between portable and stationary use. There’s even a built-in power bank. This allows the speaker to top up a phone while you’re out.
Control is handled through the familiar Sonos ecosystem. The Play supports voice assistants, Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay 2, and the Sonos app. This keeps it consistent with the rest of the company’s multi-room audio platform.
Alongside it, Sonos has announced the Era 100 SL, a simplified take on the existing Era 100 speaker. The SL version removes the microphone for users who prefer a voice-free design. However, it still delivers the same room-filling sound and the ability to expand into a larger Sonos setup — whether that means stereo pairing, adding speakers in other rooms, or building a home theatre system over time.
Both speakers reflect Sonos’ renewed focus on strengthening its core ecosystem. Rather than reinventing the formula, the company is aiming to make it easier to start with a single speaker. Over time, users can gradually grow a connected audio system throughout the home.
Further details, including pricing and wider availability, are expected to follow as Sonos rolls the speakers out globally.
Opinion
It’s now been confirmed that the Play will be Sonos’ next portable speaker, though I have doubts a to whether it’s the speaker to kick start Sonos’ product launches. It doesn’t feel like the speaker (or soundbar) that people would be excited about.
The Era 100 SL is also not the most exciting of announcements, a version of the impressive Era 100 but without microphones that can listen to adapt the sound of the speaker. As the Era 100 arrived three years ago, it’s been a long time to wait for a version sans microphone.
We live in hope that Sonos’ next hardware raises the pulse more than these product launches have.
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