Bose announces the Portable Home Speaker-- a compact combo of battery-powered speaker, Bluetooth connectivity and voice control promising 360-degree sound and deeper bass within a design weighing just 1kg.
The Bose Portable Speaker features a proprietary voice pick-up system compatible with either Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, allowing users to access playlists, podcasts, news, weather, smart devices and more through the power of their voice. AirPlay 2 compatibility provides connectivity with Apple devices, while Spotify Connect pairs the speaker with the Spotify app.
The hardware is 19cm tall and 10cm wide, and wrapped in a seamless anodised aluminium enclosure. Inside are x3 passive radiators, x1 high-excursion driver and a proprietary deflector enabling clear, lifelike sound in every direction, including "size-defying" bass. Bose adds mono-signal technology ensures the left and right channels do not cancel each other out, meaning users listens to everything the artist recorded. Construction is also IPX4-rated to survive spills, splashes and rain, and is rugged enough to withstand at least some drops and knocks.
The company claims the built-in battery powers up to 12 hours of use on a single charge, with charging taking place via USB-C cable. A set of buttons on the top provide basic control-- namely power, volume, play/pause, skip track, wake/dismiss virtual assistant and Bluetooth source. Customers can also switch the microphone off. Pairing with the companion Bose Music app offers further functionality, such as browsing content, switching moving services and creating a multi-room system with multiple Bose smart speaker and soundbars.
The Bose Portable Speaker is available now.