The best tech journalists usually concentrate their reporting around a single company. For example, Mark Gurman has scooped plenty of Apple’s secrets, and The Verge’s own Tom Warren is among the most informed voices on Microsoft. My goal has always been to reach a similar level with my own work, and I’ve finally started getting there with my coverage of Sonos.
Sonos is the leader in multi-room audio and has released a impressive range of speakers, soundbars, and other products that integrate with its platform. It’s been a very interesting company to watch through the years; Sonos has done an admirable job competing with and standing out from much larger Big Tech players like Apple, Google, and Amazon.
Over the last couple years, I’ve published several exclusives that have revealed new Sonos products, services, and broader company plans. These reports often include full product designs and images and go deeper than the standard “company is working on [x]” rumor mill reporting. Each time, they’ve proven accurate. They’re among the most extensive hardware leaks that The Verge has published in its history.
March 2021: This is the Sonos Roam, coming in April for $169
April 2021: Ikea is working with Sonos on a hidden speaker built into art you hang on the wall
April 2022: This is the new budget soundbar from Sonos
May 2022: Sonos’ next soundbar will be called the Sonos Ray
May 2022: Sonos is about to introduce its own voice assistant
May 2022: This is the design of Sonos’ upcoming Sub Mini
August 2022: Sonos’ next flagship speaker will play sound in nearly all directions
February 2023: Sonos’ next speakers will be called the Era 300 and Era 100
February 2023: These are the new Sonos Era speakers
March 2023: Sonos plans Move (Gen 2) for second half of 2023
These reports are only possible thanks to multiple sources that have put their trust in me. I’m meticulously careful in protecting sources with confidential info, and none have been caught or reprimanded by Sonos. The leaks have caused Sonos to tighten its policies and restrict internal access to upcoming products and future plans. CEO Patrick Spence has been frustrated by The Verge spoiling new Sonos devices and has warned staff to respect secrecy.
None of that’s going to stop me.
If you know anything about Sonos’ upcoming hardware/software roadmap, I encourage you to reach out to me via Signal, an encrypted messaging platform, at (845) 445-8455. You’re also welcome to send me a DM on Instagram or Twitter.