9 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Speakers

Speakers are foundational to the way we enjoy music from Spotify, Apple Music, and other services — and our own music collections. And increasingly, they’re also a convenient way of controlling smart home devices compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or Siri. Companies like Sonos offer multiroom audio platforms capable of synchronizing music across speakers of all different sizes. Whether you’re looking for a smart speaker or a simple Bluetooth speaker to take everywhere, The Verge covers the best of what’s out there in 2025.

Sonos Era 300 and Era 100 first look: you’re gonna want to hear these speakers
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Available for preorder today and shipping March 28th, both speakers make a good first impression with new features and upgraded sound.

Chris Welch
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Oh, there’s something new on the way from Sonos?

This Reddit post shows an email announcing an event in four days time, and I think you can guess what we expect to see.

Namely, a spatial audio-focused Era 300 that should cost around $450 and an Era 100 speaker priced around $250, both with Bluetooth audio playback and USB-C line-in.

Read Chris Welch’s full report here for the details we have so far, and if you’re looking for current Sonos hardware check out their ongoing sale.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Ikea’s new cover art for its Sonos wall speaker is simply stunning.

The covers snap onto the speaker and add some much-needed color to the current options. I love to see more adventurous decor in the smart home — and don’t forget, you can pair two of these speakers with a Sonos Arc or Beam sound bar for surround sound with some serious style. The new covers go on sale in April.

Diana Ordóñez’ print on a Symfonisk picture frame speaker is inspired by the colorful masks of Colombian carnival.
Diana Ordóñez’ print on a Symfonisk picture frame speaker is inspired by the colorful masks of Colombian carnival.
Image: Ikea
Alex Cranz
Alex Cranz
Here are even more images of the not-yet-announced new Sonos speakers.

Hours after our own Chris Welch revealed what will likely be Sonos’s next two speakers, a leaker has tweeted what appear to be additional images of the Era 100 and Era 300. You can check out all the images in the thread. Sadly there is not a 3.5mm port in sight.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
The new HomePod is apparently much easier to take apart.

Check out iFixit’s take on the second-generation speaker in its latest teardown. And after you do, check out our review we posted last week.

Chris Welch
Chris Welch
It takes two.

Apple’s second-generation HomePod is available starting today. And the consensus in our review and others I’ve seen is that while one HomePod speaker sounds pretty good solo, it’s when you pair two of them together that you experience the best, most immersive audio.

Creating a stereo pair with two HomePods only takes a few steps. Just remember that you can only do so with two of the same model.

Chris Welch
Chris Welch
Your iPhone 14 can now make your Sonos speakers sound better.

If you’ve ever used Sonos’ Trueplay feature to tune your speakers for the best sound quality, you know what a difference it can make. But since the process relies on microphone measurements from supported iPhones, Sonos is often slow to include new models.

Case in point: the company only just today added Trueplay support for Apple’s iPhone 14 lineup — nearly three months after the phones went on sale. Recent iPad buyers are still out of luck, and the tuning feature remains unavailable on Android altogether. Sometimes the best option is just borrowing a friend’s iPhone.

Umar Shakir
Umar Shakir
That gold-plated Dolby Atmos lifestyle.

It’s one that French audio company Devialet could sell you on, with its new $2,900 Dione Opéra de Paris soundbar.

This version has a 22-carat “moon gold” finished layer that its weird orb center channel speaker is nestled into. Considering you’re getting something “inspired by the gilded interiors of Paris’ Opéra Garnier,” it’s probably worth it, right?

Add gold versions of the new Mania and Phantom to complete your life.

The Dione has a gold top and is oriented as a wall mount with the orb speaker at the top and facing forward.
Devialet’s $2,900 special edition Dione Opéra de Paris soundbar.
Image: Devialet