Today Bose has announced the new Portable Home Speaker with AirPlay 2 support and Alexa control. Support for Google Assistant and Bluetooth connectivity rounds out the list of notable features here in a $349 speaker that goes up against HomePod and Google Home Max. Hit the jump for more.
Bose intros new AirPlay 2 speaker
Bose enters the already competitive speaker market with a new AirPlay 2 offering that builds on the previous generation design. It centers around a premium build which offers 360-degree sound, “deeper bass” than the last model, and support for just about every modern connectivity and voice assistant out there.
“Every Bose smart speaker is Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled, but the Portable is the first to offer a rechargeable battery — along with a short list of features everyone wants and loves,” said Ben Burns, senior product manager for Bose speakers. “We lived with it like anyone else would — with our families and friends, away from work — to make sure it was the kind of product we wanted to use, day after day. It was. And we think people who take it home will feel the same way.”
The Portable Home Speaker offers support for Spotify Connect, which has become a direct competitor with AirPlay 2 in recent years. Wi-Fi connectivity brings everything together, no matter which medium you prefer. Thanks to a 12-hour built-in battery, users will be able to take the latest from Bose on-the-go and lean on Bluetooth connectivity. IPX4 rating delivers protection from spills as well.
Bose continues to push its Music App as a means for creating multi-room systems and adjusting EQ as needed. Users can also manage virtual assistants and other features from within the app as well.
The Bose Portable Home Speaker will be available on September 19th for $349 in Triple Black or Luxe Silver.
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Battery-Powered Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, Built-in Voice Control, AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect — From One Amazing Speaker
August 22, 2019 — Today, Bose announced the Bose® Portable Home Speaker, an ultra-versatile, compact speaker that combines the convenience of battery power, the simplicity of Bluetooth®, and the ease of voice control in a modern new design. The new Portable speaker also delivers improved 360-degree sound, deeper bass than any other portable smart speaker its size, and weighs a mere 2.3 pounds to effortlessly take with you — from room to room, outside and around the home, and when you leave. The Bose Portable Home Speaker is available in Triple Black and Luxe Silver on September 19th for $349.
The Bose Portable speaker has up to 12 hours of battery life to last from morning to night with zero wires. Use Bluetooth to instantly stream tracks from your phone or tablet. Using Wi-Fi, just say the word — and a Bose proprietary voice pick-up system works with the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, both built-in, to access playlists, podcasts, news, weather, smart home devices, and more. Choose AirPlay 2 to play music from Apple devices, or Spotify Connect to listen directly from the Spotify app. And hear it all through a new Bose acoustic package that makes everything sound better.
“Every Bose smart speaker is Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled, but the Portable is the first to offer a rechargeable battery — along with a short list of features everyone wants and loves,” said Ben Burns, senior product manager for Bose speakers. “We lived with it like anyone else would — with our families and friends, away from work — to make sure it was the kind of product we wanted to use, day after day. It was. And we think people who take it home will feel the same way.”
There are buttons on top for basic functionality, including Bose’s proprietary mic-off feature — which cuts power to the microphones, eliminating any possibility you can be listened to or recorded — along with power, volume, play/pause and skip tracks, wake or dismiss virtual assistants, and Bluetooth source.
The Bose Music app offers additional functionality, making set up and updates easy and intuitive. Browse content, switch music services, create a multi-room system with other Bose smart speakers and soundbars, and download software for new features: coming this year, pair the Portable with a Bose SoundLink speaker for synchronized, voice-controlled audio — a welcome advancement for the millions of SoundLink Micro, Color, Mini, and Revolve owners around the world; and next year, pair two Portables for incredible 360-degree stereo performance.
The Portable speaker is cylindrical, measuring 7.5” high and just over 4” across, and wrapped in a seamless, anodized aluminum enclosure shaped precisely to enable its audio performance. Inside, three passive radiators, a high-excursion driver, and a proprietary deflector distribute clear, lifelike sound evenly in every direction — including size-defying bass. Unlike conventional speakers, there’s no sweet-spot for placement or listening — it delivers the same, jaw-dropping experience wherever it is, wherever you are. And while the left and right channels in standard one-piece systems can cancel each other out — leaving audible gaps in music — the Portable speaker won’t. Bose mono-signal technology makes corrections in real time, so you hear everything the artist recorded.
The new Bose Portable is water-resistant with an IPX4 rating to survive spills, splashes, and rain; and rugged enough to withstand drops, knocks, and hits. It comes with an integrated handle for convenience, and can charge through standard USB-C, or a charging cradle that’s sold separately for $29.
The Bose Smart Speaker Family
The Bose smart speaker family now includes three speakers — the Portable Home Speaker, Home Speaker 500 and 300; and two soundbars — the Soundbar 700 and 500. They’re all Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled. They all work brilliantly alone or together as a multi-room system. Each delivers superior audio performance for their size, and proprietary voice pick-up using mic technology developed for Bose military, aviation, and consumer headphones. And they all keep getting better with time.
Bose smart speakers and accessories are sold directly from Bose.com, Bose retail stores, and select resellers.
About Bose Corporation
Bose Corporation was founded in 1964 by Dr. Amar G. Bose, then a professor of electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Today, the company is driven by its founding principles, investing in long-term research to develop new technologies with real customer benefits. Bose innovations have spanned decades and industries, creating and transforming categories in audio and beyond. Bose products for the home, in the car, on the go and in public spaces have become iconic, changing the way people listen to music.
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