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The Bose Portable Smart Speaker satisfied testers with its built-in support for voice assistants and its portability. They liked that it was easy to set up and had a good bass response when well positioned. However, its short battery life, low max volume, and lack of a stereo output were disappointing.
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Table of Contents
Product Snapshot
Overview
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is an upmarket Bluetooth speaker that is available in two color trims and was first released in late 2019. Setting it up is pretty easy, and like most highly rated speakers, it has a companion app (Bose Music) that allows owners to adjust its bass or treble. The best Bluetooth speakers have excellent connectivity, and so does the Bose Portable Smart Speaker.
Its Bluetooth connection has a range of up to 334.6ft, and with built-in support for voice assistants such as Google Assistant and Alexa, owners can also issue voice commands through it. The speaker has good build quality, but most owners might opt to restrict it to their homes. A more compact and durable alternative for outdoor use is the Beosound Explore, which we’ve covered in our Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore review.
Consensus
our Verdict
Product testers felt good about the Bose Portable Smart Speaker thanks to its impressive voice assistant capabilities and portability. Reviewers from T3 liked its tower-shaped design and had an easy time setting it up.
Testers from Sound Guys adjusted its bass and treble through the Bose App, and during their tests, they confirmed that placing it in a corner results in a robust bass response. They also liked that it could be used as a speakerphone, while others felt it was just okay to watch movies and music since its vocals were clear and its soundstage was wide.
Still, its 5-hour battery life didn’t impress testers. Our Bose S1 Pro System review might interest users who would appreciate a longer battery life, but those who don’t mind a wired speaker ought to check out our Google Home Max review. Reviewers also didn’t like its low max volume and missing stereo output.
ReasonS to Buy
Great portability
Good bass response
Easy to set up
Great with voice assistants
Both WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity
Reason to Avoid
Short battery life
Low max volume
No stereo output
Bose Portable Smart Speaker Specs
Battery Charge Time
4 hrs
Battery Life
12 hrs
Built In Microphone
Yes
Charge Time
4 hrs
Depth
4.1"
Height
7.5"
IPX Rating
IPX4
Smart App
Apple AirPlay 2, Bose Connect, Spotify
Speaker Pairing
Yes
Water Resistant
Yes
Wattage
5W
Width
4.69"
Wireless Range
30 ft
All Specs
Test Results
These are the most important criteria to test for Speakers based on our comprehensive Testing Methodology.
Battery Life (Hours)
7.8433
Volume Output (dB)
95.5
Low End Roll Off (Hz)
63.496
High End Roll Off (Hz)
18,245.605
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The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is an upmarket Bluetooth speaker that is available in two color trims and was first released in late 2019. Setting…
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is an upmarket Bluetooth speaker that is available in two color trims and was first released in late 2019. Setting it up is pretty easy, and like most highly rated speakers, it has a companion app (Bose Music) that allows owners to adjust its bass or treble. The best Bluetooth speakers have excellent connectivity, and so does the Bose Portable Smart Speaker.
Its Bluetooth connection has a range of up to 334.6ft, and with built-in support for voice assistants such as Google Assistant and Alexa, owners can also issue voice commands through it. The speaker has good build quality, but most owners might opt to restrict it to their homes. A more compact and durable alternative for outdoor use is the Beosound Explore, which we’ve covered in our Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore review.
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker has WiFi connectivity while the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II does not, but the Revolve+ II has speakerphone functionality while the…
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker has WiFi connectivity while the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II does not, but the Revolve+ II has speakerphone functionality while the Smart Speaker does not. The Smart Speaker also has a Bass and Treble EQ adjustment, while the Revolve+ II does not, but the latter has a longer 8.5-hour battery life than the Smart Speaker.
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is battery-powered while the Bose Home Speaker 500 is not, but the Speaker 500 can play stereo content while the…
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is battery-powered while the Bose Home Speaker 500 is not, but the Speaker 500 can play stereo content while the Smart Speaker cannot. The Smart Speaker is also lightweight and smaller than the Speaker 500. Check out our Bose Home Speaker 500 review for more insight on what else it has to offer.
Buyers choosing between the Bose Portable Smart Speaker and the Sonos Move must consider several differences before purchasing. For example, the Smart Speaker is both…
Buyers choosing between the Bose Portable Smart Speaker and the Sonos Move must consider several differences before purchasing. For example, the Smart Speaker is both smaller and lighter than the Sonos Move, but the Sonos has a longer 10.1-hour battery life compared to Bose’s 5.3-hour capacity. The Sonos speaker also has a stereo pairing mode, while the Bose speaker does not.
Battery Charge Time
4 hrs
–
–
3 hrs
Battery Life
12 hrs
17 hrs
–
11 hrs
Built In Microphone
Yes
Yes
–
Yes
Charge Time
4 hrs
4 hrs
–
2 hrs
Depth
4.1"
3.2"
–
6.24"
Height
7.5"
–
–
9.44"
IPX Rating
IPX4
IP55
–
IP56
Smart App
Apple AirPlay 2, Bose Connect, Spotify
Amazon Alexa app, Bose Connect, Google Assistant, Yes
