Bose has announced the upcoming launch of the Bose Portable Home Speaker, which boasts a proprietary voice pick-up system that works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
According to a company press release, the compact speaker--weighing only 2.3 pounds--has up to 12 hours of battery life. Users can connect to Bluetooth to instantly stream tracks from their phone or tablet, as well as utilize Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa to access playlists, podcasts, news, weather, smart home devices, and more.
“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 speaker also has Bose’s proprietary mic-off feature, which cuts power to the microphones, eliminating any possibility a user can be listened to or recorded. There are also conveniently located buttons to control power, volume, play/pause and skip tracks, wake or dismiss virtual assistants, and connect to the Bluetooth source.
The company also revealed that later this year users will be able to pair the Portable with a Bose SoundLink speaker for synchronized, voice-controlled audio. And next year, they will be able to pair two Portables for 360-degree stereo performance.
The speaker is water-resistant with an IPX4 rating t survive spills, splashes and rain. It will be available in Triple Black and Luxe Silver on Sept. 19 for $349, and can charge through standard USB-C, or via a charging cradle that’s sold separately for $29.
