The long-running rumours turn out to be true as Sonos announces the Move at IFA 2019-- a first portable, battery-powered speaker from the company featuring both wifi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Around 25cm tall and weighing 3kg, the Move promises to be tough enough to handle nearly everything the great outdoors can throw in its direction. The plastic casing is IP65-rated against water and dust, and features a built-in handle. Inside are two Class-D amplifiers pushing a single tweeter and a mid-woofer driver, with TruePlay tuning automatically tweaking the sound to adapt to the environment.

Interestingly the battery powering the Move is replaceable, even as Sonos claims it can handle up to 900 charges (or 3 years of use). Charging takes place using either an included base or a USB-C port on the back. A button inside the handle allows users to switch between wifi or Bluetooth connectivity. In wifi mode the Move is very much like the Sonos One. It connects with the wider Sonos ecosystem, and offers control via Sonos app, Spotify Connect or Apple AirPlay 2 as well as voice using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Bluetooth mode is self explanatory, and the speaker remembers the last device it was paired it.

The Sonos Move ships by end September 2019.

Go Sonos Move