Sonos wants to be the spokesperson for your post-Pandemic party

Still could be a little jarring to consider attending group gatherings or crowded scenes. But if this is (hopefully) the final stage of the pandemic, people will be back soon, moaning nearby like the Before Times. At least that’s what technical companies in the portable device industry count.

Sonos, the company best known for its inside audio output, has made another portable Bluetooth speaker. And this time around, Sonos is definitely designed to be, well, portable. The Sonos Roam is an itty-bitty, lightweight Bluetooth speaker, the second in Sonos ’mobile line. Images of the product were released last week, but now the company has been officially announced. The Roam costs $ 169, and will be available in the U.S. and about 30 other markets starting on April 20th.

Sonos has long been established as a home-focused audio brand, even casting a shadow over more affordable “smart” speakers from companies such as Amazon and Google. Sonos executives have called these Bluetooth speakers “stepping stones” to more loyal (and paperwork) speakers as Sonos ’internal strikers. But the company has also been sensibly planning an outdoor expansion.

“Sonos has kept such a situation at home for so long. They’re the kind of brand that a lot of people look up to, ”said Ben Arnold, business analyst focused on consumer technology at NPD Group. “But they want to sell speakers, right? That’s their business. You can only sell so many speakers into someone’s home until they are fully absorbed. ”

Photo: Sonos
Photo: Sonos

Sonos ’first release came into Bluetooth in 2019 with the $ 400 Sonos Move. While technically mobile, with a nifty leg built on the back, the Move is a huge six-pound conk. It is inconvenient when dragged in a backpack, and acts as a kind of speaker in the backyard.

The Sonos Roam, on the other hand, is designed to go all over the place. It weighs less than a pound and is just over six inches high and two inches wide. Sonos claims a 10-hour battery life. It also has an IP67 water and dust rating for extended jaunts into unregistered land. It charges wirelessly with any Qi-certified charger, though Sonos sells a special Roam charger for an additional $ 49.

When users return home, the Roam’s “Sound Swap” feature allows them to press and hold the play button to send the sound to the nearest Sonos speaker. (The feature works on almost all newish Sonos speakers.) And like other newish Sonos speakers, the Roam has long microphones and supports voice control with Alexa or Google Assistant at Amazon.

Roam’s flexibility and mobile marketing are timely. According to NPD, sales of Bluetooth speakers rose nearly eight percent in 2020 in the U.S., possibly as a result of demand for portable devices as outdoor activity became more popular. NPD notes that most of the growth occurred in the $ 100 + speakers segment; not the extremely cheap ones. And as the distribution of Covid-19 vaccine expands, the CDC has stated that vaccinated people can safely gather in small groups without wearing masks or social aids. (Vaccinated people, never mind. This is not a carte blanche to go out with anyone, even if they have a dope playlist.) People who want to travel and move may again wanting to take their technology with them.

Photo: Sonos

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