Sonos has probably been the biggest name in wireless speakers — and certainly the biggest name in wireless multi-room speakers — for nearly two decades. That said, the company has experienced quite the change in the last years. Ever since Patrick Spence took the reins as the company's new CEO in 2017, Sonos has ramped up the cadence at which it releases new speakers and audio components. And that's exciting for every fan of Sonos.
Not only is Sonos making more speakers than ever, but the company has also broadened its horizon into the types of speakers it makes. It's now in the business of making portable and ultra-portable speakers, thanks to the Move and Roam, respectively. Sonos is now pretty committed to making more affordable options, which we've seen in the Ray and Beam soundbars, as well as the Sub Mini.
It appears that Sonos is also committed to making speakers that are more versatile — the Era 100 and Era 300 are prime examples of this. In addition to streaming over Wi-Fi (like every other Sonos speaker), but Era speakers also support Bluetooth and line-in (via USB-C) connections. This means you can more easily play tracks from a non-streaming service, like from a YouTube video, or more easily connect another audio device, like a CD player or turntable. Sonos is also rumored to be dipping its toes into other audio categories, like wireless headphones.
The point is: 2023 is poised to be another big year for Sonos.
What New Sonos Speakers Were Released Recently?
As a little bit of reminder, we're going to round up the last several speakers that Sonos announced in the past few years. Because there has been a surprisingly a lot.
March 2023: Sonos announced the Era 100 and Era 300 speakers. The Era 100 is a new-and-improved version of the One (which will be replaced) and the Era 300 is a new kind of speaker designed to play immersive audio that supports Dolby Atmos. Read our news coverage on the Sonos Era 100 and Era 300.
September 2022: Sonos announced the Sub Mini, a smaller and more affordable wireless subwoofer designed to be paired with the company's Ray and Beam soundbars. Read our review of the Sonos Sub Mini.
May 2022: Sonos announced the Ray soundbar, the company's most entry-level soundbar that costs $279 — which is $180 cheaper than the Beam (Gen 2) — but lacks support for Dolby Atmos. Read our review of the Sonos Ray.
March 2022: Sonos announced Roam SL, which is a slightly more affordable version of its ultra-portable Roam speaker. The only real tradeoff is the "SL" lacks a built-in microphone and can't function as a smart speaker. Read our post on the Sonos Roam SL.
September 2021: Sonos announced the second-generation Beam 2, its mid-tier smart soundbar that costs $449 ($50 more than the original Beam) but adds support for Dolby Atmos. Read our review of the Sonos Beam (2nd-generation).
March 2021: Sonos announced the Roam, its first ultra-portable speaker that can connect to both Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Read our review of the Sonos Roam.
What Sonos Speakers Will Be Released in 2023?
The first Sonos headphones
Likelihood: Medium
Sonos has been rumored to be working on its own headphones for years. In fact, Bloomberg first reported that they were in the works back in January of 2019; then, a year later, it was picked up by Protocol that Sonos had been award a patent for headphones. Well, give that Sonos has made the move to portable audio that uses Bluetooth recently, thanks to Move and Roam, these headphone rumors are only heating up in 2022.
A lot is still unknown about Sonos's potentially-upcoming headphones. They could potentially support both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, just like Roam, so that you could take them with you while you travel or potentially listen to higher-resolution audio when at home. As for price, Bloomberg is suggesting that they'll cost somewhere in the $300 range.
The first Sonos wireless earbuds
Likelihood: Medium
Sonos is rumored to be working on a set of true wireless earbuds, too. A patent was discovered in February 2021 that showed a pair of wireless earbuds with a unique long-and-flat (wedge-shaped) design and a silicone eartip for fit.
The other unique thing about the patent is it shows a unique symmetrical charging case that houses the earbuds at either end of its body. (T3 has an article that shows a sketch of these earbuds and charging case.) Like the rumored wireless headphones, not a lot else is known about these potentially upcoming wireless earbuds.
Sonos could revive the Play:3 speaker
Likelihood: Low
Ever since Sonos officially discontinued the Play:3 in 2018, there's been a bit of a gap in its offerings — it's a big jump from the $199 One SL to the $549 Five. It would be awesome if Sonos revived this Goldilocks speaker, giving it a nice redesign and maybe support for a voice assistant or even a line-in connection for a turntable.
Unfortunately, there have been little rumblings of Sonos releasing a new "Three" speaker, but given that the company is trending towards smaller speakers (with the Roam and rumored Sub Mini), you shouldn't give up all hope just yet.
(Note: The upcoming Era 300 —mentioned above — might be mid-tier speaker that Sonos will release instead of this Play:3 replacement.)
