Sonos Move VS Google Home Max: Which One Should You Have?

It’s a new day, a new age, and with a faster paced lifestyle, we need technology to help us out a little. It needs to be convenient, responsive, and diverse to be able to give us the help we need.  So when choosing an in-home AI to be that kind of tech, let’s compare two popular options: the Sonos Move vs Google Home Max.

Specifications	Sonos Move	Google Home Max
Portability	Yes	No
Battery life	11 hours – full charge	Must be plugged into wall outlet
Tablet screen	No	Yes
Touchscreen	No	Yes
AI software	Amazon Alexa and Google AI Assistant	Google AI Assistant
Wi-fi streaming	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth connectivity	Yes, 5.0 series	Yes, 5.0 series
Voice control	Yes	Yes
Rating
Price

We are going to show you the specific features that each has to offer, so that you can decide which fits your personal needs the best. While the Google Home Max offers video to go along with its AI, the Sonos Move offers high end audio quality and portability with its unit.

Sonos Move

Formed in Santa Barbara, California in 2002, the original four creators of Sonos had a vision for the integration of speakers throughout a home. In order to circumvent the difficulty of hard-wiring their home audio setup to different rooms, they set to the task of wirelessly connecting multiple speakers in separate rooms.

At the time, this was not possible with the current state of the internet. What we see now in the Sonos Move is the accumulation of nearly two decades of ground-up work on the wireless home audio system.

What makes the Sonos Move unique is its ability to take high quality audio playback on the go, then also plug it back into your existing home audio setup for a combined effect. Essentially, the ability to take one piece of your surround sound setup out and about as a standalone with you.

Specifications

• Wi-fi streaming
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Voice control
• Battery requirements

Pros

• High quality audio playback with clear sound
• Connectability to a larger Sonos surround sound home audio system.
• Portability to take on the go
• Amazon Alexa compatible

Cons

• No video accessory.
• Some are reporting connectivity issues with the larger surround sound system.

Google Home Max

Google is just one of those companies that comes around in every generation and takes the world by storm. Google has established itself in many Internet age sectors as a leading producer of quality materials, from internet search engine to smartphone.

It makes the Google Home Max a logical continuation of the hard work this company continues to put into their internet innovation. This unit integrates many parts of their company into a user-friendly home device that will no doubt be useful to many.

What makes the Google Home Max a worthwhile investment is its seamless connection to the Google family of products, while attaching a touchscreen and camera to create even more versatility.  From video calling to AI voice control assistance, this unit has a lot of features to like.

Specifications:

• Wi-fi streaming
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Voice control
• Battery requirements

Pros

• Video calling capable
• Camera integrated
• 10 inch Touchscreen
• Connection to the Google family of products (i.e. YouTube, Google Photos, etc.)

Cons

• Less portable
• Lower audio quality compared to Sonos

Face to Face

Here we have a side to side comparison of key features of each product. Both have handy, subjective aspects to them that will appeal to different consumers. Take a peek to see which product will be best for your specific needs.

Wi-fi Streaming

The Sonos Move has Wi-fi streaming capability for its audio playback. Tech specs on the connection speed is 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4 GHz, and 5GHz. This is a high enough grade for standard Internet connections across the United States.

Since the Sonos Move mainly uses the Wi-fi for its voice control search engine, and audio playback, this bandwidth should be plenty for its needs.

The Google Home Max is also Wi-fi streaming capable. The tech specs on their wi-fi connectivity is also the standard 802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz/5GHz) Wi-Fi. This bandwidth is more needed for the Home Max since it has more internet necessity from its various features and accessories.

Additionally, it has Google Chromecast built into the unit, so you can stream whatever is on your phone, onto the Home Max, or whatever is on the Home Max onto another screen. This is a very handy feature that allows you to have more interoperability with all your devices.

We have to award the edge to the Google Home Max since it requires more wi-fi durability and has gotten good reviews thus far on this front.

Winner: Google Home Max

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Bluetooth Connectivity

Between the Sonos Move and the Google Home Max, Bluetooth connection is going to be more vital for the Sonos. Seeing as most people now stream audio from applications on their smartphones or tablets, having a stable Bluetooth connection from your roving person is crucial.

The Sonos Move has a top end Bluetooth 5.0 series connection built-in, meaning it is on the high end of the available Bluetooth spectrum.

It is Apple Airplay 2.0 compliant, so that iPhone compatibility remains robust. So long as you have the iOS 11.4 or higher.

The Google Home Max also has a high end Bluetooth 5.0 series connection integrated, so you will not have a distinct advantage over the Sonos Move.

Neither site shows the difference in distance from Bluetooth source, so we will assume that because they utilize the same technology, they have a similar normal operating distance.

We have to award a tie between these two units as a result.

Winner: Tie

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AI Voice Control

Voice control is an important feature to distinguish between these two devices. While the Sonos Move utilizes both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for its AI voice recognition, the Google Home Max only uses Google AI Assistant in the same capacity.

That alone is a deal-breaker for many people who are dedicated to one AI over the other, not to mention if you have your personal information stored in either Amazon or Google as a whole.

Since the Sonos Move contains an ability for both of those AI software, it gives the unit more options for a wider consumer base. That said, it has fewer abilities for which to show off the AI.

On the other hand, the Google Home Max only has Google AI Assistant, yet because it has a touchscreen attached, there are more functions you can control overall from the Google Home Max.

If it’s Amazon Alexa you are after, going with the Sonos Move may be prudent. If it’s overall usefulness and versatility, though only with Google AI Assistant, then you may want to go for the Google Home Max.

All in all, we have to give the overall edge to the Google Home Max in this category.  It’s just so useful in many different situations.

Winner: Google Home Max

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Battery Requirements

There is a key difference in the battery requirements between these two devices. In the Sonos Move, there is a rechargeable battery that gets 11 hours of life on a full charge.

In addition to the battery, there is a dock for recharging the device that has a minimalist look. It recharges the battery in full in 3 hours, while also getting you a 50 percent charge in one hour.  USB-C cables, a newer wiring technology, is used for quicker charging.

In contrast, the Google Home Max must be plugged into an electrical outlet to be used.

This key difference is one of the defining aspects of the comparison between the two. For this reason, we have to give the edge to the Sonos Move for its portability and versatility.

Winner: Sonos Move

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Key Features

Each of these devices is very unique and clearly geared towards a different kind of consumer needs. To say one aspect favors one, but not the other, is not a knock. It just highlights the difference in targeted characteristics.

The Sonos Move was designed for a person that is looking for quality audio and AI while equally on the move and at home. It’s key features reflect that lifestyle.

The rechargeable battery and overall portability of the Sonos Move help separate it from the Google Home Max.

• The battery life is at 11 hours on a full charge.
• The battery requires 3 hours to get to a full recharge.
• There is a one-hour quick charge to get to a 50 percent battery.

The Sonos system allows for connectivity among all of its devices, and the Sonos Move is a part of that.

• The Sonos Move can act as both a standalone audio player, as well as part of a Sonos brand home theater setup.
• The Sonos Move has portability with life proofing and battery life as essential characteristics.
• The rechargeable battery is a key aspect of its portability, with 11 hours of playback on the go.
• It has an IP56 weatherproof rating, helping it become more resistant to humidity, snow, rain, salt spray, dust, UV rays, and extreme heat and cold.
• The Sonos Move is more protected, with its internal components nestled in a shock-proof hard-wearing exterior.
• It is also designed with a handle built into the top back of the unit for ease of carrying.

Another aspect of the Sonos Move that is sure to turn heads is its high end audio playback.  Sonos knew this would be a selling point, and they developed technology to showcase their high fidelity.

• The Move comes equipped with automatic Trueplay tuning – an AI feature that takes in information about the surroundings to attune its equalizer for an optimized audio setting.
• Indoor or outdoor, the Sonos Move has audio quality that carries in loud environments and fills in quieter environments.
• In an appeal to the high fidelity, the Move has deep bass tones, enriched midtones, and a high end that avoids clipping well.

On the other hand, the Google Home Max is designed for someone more of a homebody that prefers an overall connectedness of their technology in home life. You’ll notice that kind of a trend in their design features too.

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Google Home Max integrates all of its Google Suite applications with many other technology application partners to give the user a plethora of app options to choose from.

• With app partners such as YouTubeTV, Netflix, Spotify, CNN, Target, and Canary – the Google Home Max offers you a wide variety of useful tasks and media coverage at your fingertips.
• The total Google suite of apps is there in case you need to look at Google Photos, Sheets, Docs, Maps, etc.
• From playing TV shows to viewing documents to video calling, there are many applications and counting that you have access to all in one device.

Having a tablet attached to the face of the unit gives you the same flexibility that most other tablets can offer, with the added bonus of the Google AI Assistant in case you want to use your voice to control the system.

• You get the tablet’s processing power, with the visuals to match in case you need to see what you are doing.
• The tablet screen can act as a picture frame to present a slideshow of any photo album uploaded to Google Photos.
• You can watch TV shows or any visual media on the device.
• The option to use voice commands at any time even while in any other app, visual or not
• The screen is touch-sensitive to make selections user-friendly and akin to most other existing smartphone technology.

There is a front facing camera attached, which gives you a wider variety of services to utilize.

• You can utilize FaceTime or Google Chat or Zoom to service your video call needs.
• You can install security apps that will allow you to monitor the camera feed remotely from a linked smartphone and accessories to attach.
• There are customization options available from facial recognition that will tailor personal information to each individual user.

In Conclusion

Both of these units will get the job done well for what they are each suited for. The Sonos Move is great for the audiophile on the go, while the Google Home Max is ideal for the stay-at-home lounger looking to make life easier.

Use the Sonos Move if:

• You have an existing Sonos home theater system, or are planning to get one.
• You care deeply about having a high-end audio playback to your tunes.
• You want an AI voice control system with your nice speakers.
• You want a high-end, good-sounding, loud boombox on the go.
• You need portability in your AI system, for large parties or events, or other uses.

Use the Google Home Max if

• You want a tablet attachment to your AI to visualize any voice commands.
• You want to watch TV, movies, or most all kinds of visual entertainment.
• You prefer to integrate different applications into one device.
• You would like to use it as a home monitor, or security monitoring device while you are out.
• You care about having a touchscreen component to your AI device.
• You already have a Google account and want to incorporate different applications into this device.