There have been speculations that a Move of the second generation may have been on the way since Sonos announced its new Era range of wireless smart speakers, the Era 100 and the Era 300. We had sniffed out little hints of a possible Move 2 when the Era news first leaked, but struggled for concrete details, but thanks to news coming via The edgethe picture seems to be getting a little clearer about when and in what form we might see the new second-generation speaker.
We had initially predicted that now that the Era has officially launched, the Move 2 couldn’t be far behind, with summer touted as the logical time to release portable speakers when the weather is nice and people are out and about. This seems to confirm with The Verge’s insider assessment that the Move 2 is slated for release in the second half of 2023, sometime between late summer and early fall.
When it came to predicting design, however, things were a little more up in the air. The Verge predicts that the Move 2 will mimic its predecessor’s bulky shape and form (no surprise there), though it will improve on the old model by supporting Bluetooth and Wi-Fi playback without having to manually switch back and forth between the two .
The Era 300 and 100 stood out for offering line-in playback via USB-C and adapter, and we can expect the same from the second-generation Move, predicts The Verge. That same USB-C port can also be used for charging on the Move 2, although the wireless charging option will likely remain.
That’s not all. The Move was compatible with Sonos’ updated S2 software and the older S1 platform, but it looks like the Move 2 will only be for S2. There might also be a chance to get battery replacement kits for the second-generation Move model, as Sonos, like many other audio manufacturers, is looking to improve the durability of the brand.
With the Era range coming soon to the mainstream market (it goes on sale March 28), there’s no doubt that the California-based brand will turn its attention to the next product in the Sonos stable. Sonos announced last year that it would innovate in four new product categories clearly demonstrates a desire to diversify its product portfolio, but we imagine the Move 2 is still a major priority given the warm reception of the first-generation model. With summer fast approaching, a new generation of wearable devices can’t be far behind…
MORE:
look at all the our predictions for the Sonos Move 2
Everything you need to know about the Sonos Era 100 and Era 300
Read our original Sonos Move review