Sonos unveils redesigned mobile and web apps

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Sonos is shaking things up with a major update to its mobile app, launching on May 7 for both iOS and Android. This complete overhaul focuses on speed and ease of use, with a brand-new homescreen that puts everything you need at your fingertips.

Gone is the tabbed navigation bar. Now, you can customize the layout to prioritize your favourite playlists, line-in sources, and even specific carousels from music services (like Spotify's "New releases"). A persistent search bar at the bottom lets you find music quickly while swiping up from the mini player reveals a system overview for volume control and grouping speakers.

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Sonos expected to unveil new portable speaker and app in June

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Sonos has a busy June planned, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter, Gurman reports that the company will launch a successor to its popular Roam portable speaker. Alongside the new speaker, Sonos is expected to introduce a dedicated app designed specifically for its portable offerings. This app will supposedly support Sonos' rumoured high-end headphones, potentially launching in June as well. However, support for existing portable speakers like the Move and older Roam models will arrive later, as Sonos reportedly encounters software integration challenges.

Details on the new Roam are scarce, but Gurman suggests it might feature top-mounted touch controls similar to those found on the Era 100 and 300 speakers. This leak also hints at Sonos' broader hardware ambitions, including a potential TV set-top box and updated versions of the Sub, Era 100 speaker, and Arc soundbar. These rumoured products suggest Sonos is focused on bolstering its hardware revenue streams.

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Sonos Move 2: A portable speaker with longer battery life, better sound quality

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The Sonos Move gets refreshed four years after it was first introduced. The Move 2 stays true to the original with a relatively large, portable speaker capable of withstanding some drops, bumps, and extreme temperatures. But this time, it borrows design inspo from the Era 100 and Era 300 with a similar top panel touch control design. It also has a dedicated forward and back buttons and a USB-C line-in jack for connecting it to a turntable or other audio equipment.

The Move 2 also inherits the Era 100's dual angled tweeters. The battery life gets doubled, too, with a promise of over 24 hours instead of just 11 hours. Sonos also introduces a new olive green colour. 

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Report: Next Sonos smart speakers will be called Era 300 and Era 100

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Sonos is gearing up to launch its next-generation smart speakers. The Verge reports that it'll be called Era 300 and Era 100. The flagship Era 300 is reportedly built to showcase spatial audio music tracks and Dolby Atmos content. But both will feature a completely new look compared to existing Sonos products.

You can reportedly expect the "richest fidelity" on a single speaker from Sonos with the Era 300. It's likely to offer USB-C line-in, Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, and possibly Bluetooth playback. Less is known about the Era 100, but it's expected to have an Era 100 SL model without built-in voice mics. It could end up being a Sonos One successor with up-firing Dolby Atmos support. 

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