These sit in different size classes, so this is not a straight ranking comparison. The Bose Portable Smart Speaker ranks #65 of 145 medium speakers by sound quality at $399; the Google Home Speaker ranks #8 of 10 powered desktop speakers by sound quality at $99.99.
Why pick the Bose Portable Smart Speaker: 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. The tradeoff: 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 Nest Audio it replaces: SoundGuys measured its acoustic hardware directly against the Nest Audio and found a single 58mm full-range driver against the 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 ($399) for a medium speaker; the Google Home Speaker ($99.99) suits a powered desktop speaker instead.
There is a real gap in water resistance: the Bose Portable Smart Speaker at IPX4 (splashing) against the Google Home Speaker, which has no water resistance.
Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings and Powered Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Bose Portable Smart Speaker | Google Home Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $399.00 | $99.99 each |
| Ranked | #65 of 145 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #8 of 10 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| 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 Version | 4.2 | - |
| 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 |
| TWS | - | No (two units pair only through a Google TV Streamer, not with each other directly) |
| 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 |
| Bluetooth | - | Yes, 5.4 |
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- JBL Flip 6 vs Bose Portable Smart Speaker
- JBL Flip 7 vs Bose Portable Smart Speaker
- Harman Kardon Luna vs Bose Portable Smart Speaker
Prices on this page were last checked September 26, 2026 at 11:14 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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The Two Speakers In Full
Bose Portable Smart Speaker: $399.00 Bose eBay
Pros: 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. It works as a Wi-Fi speaker at home (AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect) and as a Bluetooth speaker away from Wi-Fi, weighs about 1 kg with a carry handle, and is IPX4 splash resistant. SoundGuys measured 13 hours 6 minutes of playback at 75 dB, beating Bose’s 12 hour claim, and found the bass impressive for its size, especially near a wall or corner. Its 360 degree design spreads sound evenly around a room.
Cons: 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. Pushed to full volume, Tom’s Guide heard unbalanced sound and Pocket-lint found the bass struggling and turning incoherent. RTINGS measured only about 5 hours of battery in its own test. It is mono, has no aux input (the USB-C port only charges), uses Bluetooth 4.2, and the Bose Music app supports a limited list of streaming services. IPX4 covers splashes only, not submersion or dust.
Full Bose Portable Smart Speaker review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Bose Music) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Drivers | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
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Google Home Speaker: $99.99 each Amazon eBay
Older model: the Google Nest Audio (ranked higher, rated 3.3/5).
Pros: 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. Vocals come through clearly on most tracks, which SoundGuys’ side-by-side listening called the one thing this speaker does well.
Cons: This is Google’s current speaker, and reviewers agree it is a downgrade in sound from the discontinued Nest Audio it replaces: SoundGuys measured its acoustic hardware directly against the Nest Audio and found a single 58mm full-range driver against the Nest Audio’s 75mm woofer plus dedicated 19mm tweeter, calling it ‘half the audio hardware for the same sticker price.’ In their listening test there was barely any bass, the sound turned thin and tinny outside the midrange, and pushing the volume up made high notes shrill. There is no aux input or any wired audio connection at all, the single USB-C port is power only, and Bluetooth is limited to the SBC codec with no AAC support. SoundGuys scored it 6.0 of 10 overall, with a Value score of 4.0.
Full Google Home Speaker review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Google Home) |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.4 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (3 far-field mics, hardware mute switch) |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 3.4” x 4.2” x 4.2” (86.6 x 107 x 107 mm) (H x diameter) |
| Drivers | 58mm full-range driver |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble, via Google Home app) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Chromecast |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Chromecast built-in) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C (30W adapter, power only, no USB Audio) |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | No |
| Streaming Services | Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | No (two units pair only through a Google TV Streamer, not with each other directly) |
| USB Input | No |
| Voice Assistants | Google Assistant / Gemini for Home |
| Weight | 0.9 lbs (396 g) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (Wi-Fi 6, dual-band) |
| XLR Input | No |
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