Sonos has announced a replacement battery kit for the Sonos Move, the wireless speaker it launched back in 2019. Move connects to both a Sonos network of multi-room speakers or to a Bluetooth source directly, with the company suggesting that the battery should last for around three years or 900 charges.
Sonos is adding support for two subwoofers in a home theater setup, allowing those wanting maximum bass to wirelessly connect two Sonos Sub to the system. The update will double up the low-end for those with bigger rooms - or just an unstinting appetite for bass in their action movies - while keeping it all wireless still.
Sonos has launched a subscription version of its Sonos Radio HD, stripping out the ads and raising the audio quality in addition to adding new sleep stations and more. Priced at $7.99 per month, in contrast to Sonos Radio which is free for Sonos users, as before there'll be more than 60,000 live radio stations from around the world along with Sonos Sound System and artist-curated stations. However, original stations will stream in 16-bit/44.1 kHz lossless CD quality.
Sonos is adding a much-demanded feature to its Arc soundbar with a new software update, bringing multi-channel LPCM support to the flagship Dolby Atmos product. Meanwhile, the company is retiring its controversial Sonos Trade Up program, replacing it with a new Upgrade Program which promises hardware discounts for those users with older devices.
If you're a Sonos user with a kitchen full of GE smart appliances, then you've got some new integration heading your way. GE Appliances announced today that it's launching compatibility with Sonos speakers for many of its smart home products. This team-up will start somewhat small and expand from here, with GE boasting that it's the first appliance company to join forces with Sonos.
For years now, rumors have been claiming that Apple is working on its own pair of over-the-ear headphones, and it feels like we might finally be closing in on their reveal. No doubt that phrase has been uttered plenty of times over the past couple of years, but today, some intriguing evidence for the impending arrival of these headphones surfaced. As it turns out, Apple has stopped selling audio accessories from a number of third-party companies.
There's no denying that the Nest Audio fills a sweet-spot in Google's smart speaker range. Long-anticipated replacement to the original Google Home, the new speaker delivers markedly better sound quality than the Nest Mini, but a much more affordable price point - not to mention smaller footprint - than the Google Home Max. No product lives in isolation, though, and the most common question I've been getting is "what about Sonos?"
Sonos filed a lawsuit against Google this week to further claims of patent infringement with smart speaker products. Sonos claims that a team-up between the companies with the launch of Google Play Music resulted in Google effectively copying Sonos technology for use in smart speakers they'd release years later. This claim comes just before Google's next major event in which the company is expected to reveal one more smart speaker and/or smart audio product that Sonos expects will continue what they consider the company's "disregard for IP."
The upcoming Sonos headphones have broken cover, with a newly-granted patent for the wireless headphones detailing their potential design and functionality. Rumored since early in 2019, the headphones are designed to integrate with Sonos' wireless speaker system, as well as potentially include voice control.
Sonos is closing its New York retail store and will shed around 12-percent of its staff, the company has confirmed today, as it aims to offset the impact of COVID-19 on its multi-room speaker business. The news comes after Sonos warned investors back in March that it was hunting ways to save cash, including trimming marketing and better managing inventory.
Sonos has launched a new finish for its portable speaker, with the Sonos Move Lunar White switching things up later this month. Joining the existing Shadow Black Move that launched last year, the new Move also benefits from a new software update from Sonos, which the company says will add an extra hour of playback time when it's being used wirelessly.
Google Assistant is available on a wide variety of smart devices, not just those with Google's name on them. Unfortunately, the reality is that Google's own devices naturally get some preferential treatment in getting features before others. Sometimes those features never come but sometimes they do just take their time rolling out to others. Fortunately for owners of third-party smart speakers, that day is close and soon they'll be able to enjoy some of the latest features Google Assistant has to offer.