Bose made a $349 portable smart speaker with both Alexa and Google Assistant

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Smart speakers are everywhere it seems, and it’s Bose’s turn to bring another to the crowded market. This time it’s even crowded inside the speaker, as both Alexa and the Google Assistant are onboard. The Bose Portable Home Speaker (I know, was the branding guy on holiday that day?) lets you take your favorite non-Apple voice assistants wherever you may roam.

And roam you can, with 12-hour battery life and IPX4 water resistance.

Bose just took Alexa and Google Assistant on a playdate

The problem I see with smart speakers is that most are made for one voice assistant or the other. Can’t they just get along? Bose has taken the unusual step of putting both Alexa and Google Assistant into the Portable Home Speaker, so you don’t have to choose anymore. Well, unless you’re an Apple household but if so, you probably stopped reading a few sentences ago.

• The 2.3 lb speaker is made for those on-the-go lifestyles
• Bose uses one active driver, three passive radiators and a deflector to get a 360-degree sound from the little unit
• It has a mic-off button, which cuts power to the mic so you know nobody is snooping on you. I hope it’s a physical cut-off instead of a digital one, as those can be circumvented

The Bose Portable Home Speaker will be available from September 19, at a price of $349.

What do you think? Interested in this smart speaker from Bose? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.