We put the new Bose portable smart speaker to the test

It must be difficult for new brands to make it in the world of Bluetooth. Trawling through the myriad options, it’s hard to avoid the big players and their slick websites, full of block colours and groups of twentysomethings running along a pier or drinking a cocktail on a rooftop.

One said superbrand is Bose, a company that could even claim to be the main player in the market.

It has a strong history when it comes to Bluetooth-ready products, with a pretty flawless record for producing models with brilliant sound that look great, including in the portable market.

Read more: 11 best wireless earbuds with quality sound, noise cancellation and phone calls on the move

The Bose portable smart speaker also adds smart capabilities into the mix. Unlike its name (which will herein be shortened to “the smart”), the speaker’s look is minimalist, clean and thoroughly Bose.

But do the smart’s credentials stand up to a closer look? Despite suffering from a distinct lack of nearby piers or open rooftop bars, we put it through its paces to find out.

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