The Sonos Move 2 is the portable AirPlay speaker we've been waiting for

Maker of all things high-end audio Sonos has today unveiled its Move 2, the successor to its premium portable Move speaker.

With up to 24 hours of battery life, water resistance, and stereo sound, the Sonos Move 2 promises improvements inside and out, and with AirPlay 2 in tow, iPhone users will find it a perfect companion for on-the-go listening.

Priced at $449 or £449, the new Move 2 comes with “a completely overhauled acoustic architecture” featuring dual-tweeters and a precision-tuned woofer to help drive that bass even when you’re outdoors. It can use Wi-Fi and Bluetooth at the same time for more flexible streaming, especially when used in conjunction with an existing Sonos home entertainment system.

Sonos Move 2 – by the numbers

Perhaps the most impressive feature is the speaker’s 24-hour battery life (according to the press release), which is double that of the original so you’ll have plenty of juice for all-night parties, camping, and more. Interestingly, however, Sonos’ product page website says the 18Wh battery only “provides up to 10 hours of continuous playback on a single charge at moderate volumes”, suggesting battery life very much depends on how you use the speaker. Power is delivered by USB-C, and you can also use the speaker to charge your phone or other electronics.

Of course, you want an outdoor speaker to be durable, so the Sonos Move 2 comes with an IP56 rating so it can withstand “splashes,” as well as drops, rain, dirt, and sunshine. Sonos’ automatic Trueplay constantly optimizes sound for the world around you, a bit like Apple’s HomePod.

The new speaker, which is available for pre-order now and will ship from September 20, comes in three colors: black, white, and olive. It boasts touch and voice controls (Amazon Alexa) as well as a line-in. Included is Sonos’ wireless charging base, which provides a handy stand to rest the speaker on, and you can even replace the Sonos Move 2’s battery, should the need arise. With all that in mind, the Sonos Move 2 definitely looks like one of the best Bluetooth speakers for iPhone in 2023.

While it’s great to see a fantastic portable AirPlay 2 speaker on the market like the Move 2, it makes me yearn for the prospect of a portable HomePod. It sure would be pricey, but I think Apple could get the job done, and there would definitely be a market for it.