Bose’s Most Affordable Smart Speaker Yet to Offer Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa
Image Source: Bose
Bose’s Home Speaker 300 launched late June in the US and this week it was released in Australia for preorder. The 300 style is Bose’s smallest smart speaker yet, weighing in at two pounds and also their cheapest. It is also the first Bose smart speaker to offer both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, as other styles only integrated with Google Assistant. However, users can only use one voice assistant at a time and must choose during device setup, similar to what Sonos told Voicebot of their simultaneous (or lack thereof) capabilities.
Key features
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- Compact: 6.3″ H x 5.6″ W x 4″ D, 2.1 lbs
- Six preset buttons
- Personalized Bose music app
- Two voice assistants
- Wifi and Bluetooth
- Apple Airplay 2
Bose vs. Sonos
The announcement for the Bose Home Speaker 300 earlier this year came just one week after Sonos also gave customers the choice between Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Sonos released this option for two of their devices: Sonos One speaker and Sonos Beam soundbar. Originally Sonos only offered Alexa, while Bose solely offered Assistant. In a similar rollout Sonos first launched in the U.S. and rolled out to Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the U.K. last month.
All smart speakers and sound bars in the Bose Family (seven total, four with voice control) work together so you can connect in different rooms throughout your house. At $259.95, the 300 speaker is also the most affordable, so if consumers want to create surround sound or enhance home entertainment listening this cheaper price point speaker could be the answer. Bose only introduced voice control smart speakers and sound bars this time last year. While they are a little behind Sonos in the launching of products, they are adding variety to the marketplace and giving consumers the last say in who has better sound quality.
Image Source: CNET
CNET, a leader in tech product reviews, recently provided a thorough comparison of the Home Speaker 300 and Sonos One. The headline reads: Solid smart speaker with Alexa and Google, but it’s not the One. CNET’s major takeaway is that the Home Speaker 300 is pricey and the audio quality doesn’t measure up. Sonos one is $179 vs. the 300 at $259.
