Bose portable smart speaker
Size: 19.15 (H) x 11.9 (W) x 10.4cm (D)
Weight: 1.06kg
Battery life: Up to 12 hours on average listening volume, 24 hours on standby
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2, WiFi, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
Design
When it comes to portable speakers, many brands really like to stretch the meaning of the word “portable”. One of the main ways in which companies massage the meaning is weight: you don’t want to feel like you’re starting a HIIT workout when you pick up your speaker to take it into the garden. No issues there for the Bose smart. This speaker is completely geared towards portability, from its featherlight (well, 1kg) feel, to the oddly fashionable beach bucket handle.
The aluminium casing comes in black or “luxe silver”, both adhering to Bose’s minimalist aesthetic, and there’s an attractive ring of LEDs that turn different colours depending on the mode you’re using. It’s easy to carry around or chuck in a bag for a day out, or even to take on holiday. The optional charging cradle (£24.95, Johnlewis.com) adds another sophisticated design element to an already strong aesthetic and makes charging the speaker an easier and more stable experience.
The smart isn’t just pretty: it’s sturdy, too. Its IPX4 water-resistance rating means it’s protected from rigorous splashing (just don’t throw it in the pool) and the aluminium grille, rubber top and woven handle all feel particularly durable. The battery life is also very good for the features the smart offers, coming in at around 12 hours for regular volume levels.
The smart has no aux capability, which is a shame, but understandable when Bose is focused on the purest possible portability. The accompanying Bose Music app is a clean bit of software, making registration easy. It also lets you browse all of your various streaming libraries at once, and enables the grouping of multiple Bose speakers to create a multi-room system. For a more hands-on experience, the top of the speaker features power, volume, play and pause buttons, along with a quick set-up button for Bluetooth pairing.
Sound
For a light, easily portable speaker, the Bose produces impressive sound. One of its major benefits is the omnidirectional audio, thanks to the 360-degree grille covering the bottom third of the case and technical wizardry pushing sound out evenly, regardless of where you are in the room or garden.
For a mono speaker, the volume can be ramped up laudably, although it begins to struggle with distortion slightly on bass-heavy tracks the louder you go. Despite this, the midrange and higher frequencies are consistently clear – the bass always feels warm, and the general clarity and balance of the audio is something Bose should be proud of. This speaker packs a much heavier punch than its size would suggest.
Read more: 10 best wireless gaming headsets to give you the multiplayer edge
The microphones in the top of the speaker work to a high standard for all voice commands, either with Alexa or Google Assistant, depending on which camp you fall into. If you’re in neither, and actually feel a little bit weird about the speaker hearing everything you say all the time (we agree), then the microphones can also be turned off. It does everything you need from a smart speaker while producing sound that audiophiles can still appreciate.
The verdict
The Bose portable smart speaker isn’t as powerful as a speaker like the Sonos Move, but it’s much lighter and more portable than its rivals, and you’d feel comfortable packing it in your suitcase. In that respect, it’s much more of a truly portable speaker than other pretenders. This is Bose’s aim: with the visible and appealing handle, the weight and sleekness of the unit, it’s made to be picked up and handled – something you’ll find you can’t help doing.
The sound is impressive for its size, but when you take the price into consideration, it really should be. You’re paying a premium for Bose packing all that quality into a smaller package: it’s a great choice for those who want to retain quality sound while owning something more portable than the heftier options on the market. If you love the Bose sound profile, have a Bose system already running, or simply want a well-built speaker from a name you can trust, buying the portable smart speaker is a sound decision.