The Sonos Move launched all the way back in September 2019, and was notable for being the first portable, battery-powered model released by the wireless speaker company. Now it seems as though an upgraded version is imminent.
This is according to The Verge, which has apparently been talking to "people familiar" with the Sonos product roadmap. The Move (Gen 2) could be with us in the second half of 2023, specifically "late summer / early fall" in North America.
There's a model number attached, S44, and apparently the design will be "similar" to the original version. The Sonos Move stands 240 mm (9.45 inches) tall and weighs in at 3 kg (or 6.61 lbs). It's available in Shadow Black or Lunar White.
Upgrades ahoy
If these sources are right, the Sonos Move 2 will be more of a refinement than a revamp of the original Move. Sonos has already launched the Era 100 and Era 300 speakers this year, which were more radical departures from the models they replaced.
There will be upgrades though: the Move 2 is reportedly going to support both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi simultaneously. The current speaker supports both as well, but only one at a time, with a physical switch on the actual device itself used to set this.
The sources speaking to The Verge also say there will be line-in support, as well as internal upgrades ensuring the speaker can manage future software updates. As always though, remember that product roadmaps are subject to change.
Analysis: the Sonos empire strikes back
Sonos is still well-established as one of the best wireless speaker manufacturers in the business, but smart speakers and smart displays have been cutting into its sales in recent years – devices with inferior audio quality, but a lower retail price.
In 2023, Sonos seems more committed than ever to fighting back. As The Verge notes, company execs have gone on the record as saying they want to launch two new products per year – and they've already hit that target since January 1.
Rumors continue to swirl that Sonos wants to enter new product categories too, perhaps involving a pair of headphones or some kind of software that runs on other devices. In other words, it could be a very busy year for the company.
Having previously tried to incorporate smart speaker features of its own, it now appears that Sonos is going to focus on its strengths: making high-quality, versatile, long-lasting products with top-tier sound output.
