Sonos Launches Play Speaker to Regain Market Share Amid App Troubles

Sonos has faced significant challenges over the past two years, notably after releasing a flawed app update in May 2024 that took over a year to fix. The smart speaker market is now highly competitive, with strong rivals across all price ranges. Sonos, once a market leader, is no longer the underdog but must work harder to capture consumer attention. Its latest attempt is the Sonos Play, a new portable speaker positioned between its smaller Roam and larger Move models in terms of size and weight.

The Play weighs 1.3 kilograms, offering a balance between portability and sound quality. It features advanced technology including Bluetooth 5.3, WiFi 6, and supports voice assistants Amazon Alexa and Sonos Voice Control, though neither supports Hebrew. The speaker has an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, a 24-hour battery life, and can be charged via USB-C, which also allows it to charge other devices. Sonos also includes Trueplay technology that adapts sound to the environment without needing a phone.

In terms of sound, the Play aims to simulate stereo with a single speaker design, providing consistent audio quality regardless of orientation. While not true stereo, it performs well for a portable device and can pair with another Play speaker for stereo sound via Bluetooth. Compared to the Move and Roam, the Play offers superior sound to the Roam and better portability than the Move, though the Move delivers more detailed audio.

The main weakness remains the Sonos app, which, despite functioning well when operational, occasionally fails with generic error messages and limited troubleshooting support. Priced at 1,169 shekels, the Play is considered expensive for a portable speaker but justifiable given its dual role as a home and portable device. Overall, the Play is seen as a successful product for Sonos in a fiercely competitive market, though it does not revolutionize the category.