These sit in different size classes, so this is not a straight ranking comparison. The Bose Portable Smart Speaker ranks #75 of 172 medium speakers by sound quality at $297.77; the Google Home Speaker ranks #12 of 14 powered desktop speakers by sound quality at $99.99.
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is the battery-powered, tougher choice. Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built in, and RTINGS rates its microphones as excellent at hearing commands from far away or in a noisy room. Its battery is rated for 12 hours, while the Google Home Speaker needs an outlet. It is rated IPX4, while the Google Home Speaker has no water resistance. It supports AAC Bluetooth, which the Google Home Speaker lacks. The catch: RTINGS found the out of the box tuning boomy and says it doesn’t get very loud; the app’s bass and treble sliders help, and SoundGuys recommended cutting bass by 10 to 20 steps to balance it.
What the Google Home Speaker does well: Built-in Gemini support makes it a capable smart home hub, with a Thread border router and Matter support, and the compact 107mm sphere fits almost anywhere. Watch for: This is Google’s current speaker, and reviewers agree it is a downgrade in sound from the discontinued Google Nest Audio it replaces: SoundGuys measured its acoustic hardware directly against the Google Nest Audio and found a single 58mm full-range driver against the Google Nest Audio’s 75mm woofer plus dedicated 19mm tweeter, calling it ‘half the audio hardware for the same sticker price.’
Buy the Bose Portable Smart Speaker ($297.77) for a medium speaker; the Google Home Speaker ($99.99) suits a powered desktop speaker instead.
Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings and Powered Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built in, and RTINGS rates its microphones as excellent at hearing commands from far away or in a noisy room.
Amazon $297.77 Bose $399.00 eBay
Built-in Gemini support makes it a capable smart home hub, with a Thread border router and Matter support, and the compact 107mm sphere fits almost anywhere.
Amazon $99.99 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 16, 2026 at 5:46 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Bose Portable Smart Speaker | Google Home Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $297.77 | $99.99 each |
| Ranked | #75 of 172 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #12 of 14 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| TWS | No | No (two units pair only through a Google TV Streamer, not with each other directly) |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | No Battery |
| IP Rating | IPX4 | None |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C (30W adapter, power only, no USB Audio) |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | - |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) | 0.9 lbs (396 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | 5.4 |
| Dimensions | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) | 3.4” x 4.2” x 4.2” (86.6 x 107 x 107 mm) (H x diameter) |
| App | Yes (Bose Music) | Yes (Google Home) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) | Yes (3 far-field mics, hardware mute switch) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble) | Yes (Bass/Treble, via Google Home app) |
| Drivers | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators | 58mm full-range driver |
| Digital Aux Input | No | - |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes (Wi-Fi 6, dual-band) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant | Google Assistant / Gemini for Home |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Chromecast built-in) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Strap | No | - |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn | Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect |
| Inputs | - | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Chromecast |
| XLR Input | - | No |
| RCA Input | - | No |
| TRS Input | - | No |
| Optical Input | - | No |
| Coaxial Input | - | No |
| USB Input | - | No |
| HDMI Input | - | No |
| AES Input | - | No |
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