It's almost officially summer, which is peak Bluetooth speaker season. Sony, JBL, Marshall, and more released speakersforthe summertime, and now it's Bose's turn. Bose is expanding its SoundLink portable speaker lineup with two new speakers: the SoundLink Plus and the SoundLink Micro (2nd gen).

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Bose's SoundLink Max and SoundLink Home are among our favorite portable speakers, but the two new devices are for those who require more portability. The SoundLink Plus is Bose's upper midrange portable speaker, introducing a new price category for the company's Bluetooth speakers.

SoundLink Plus

The SoundLink Plus lies between the SoundLink Max and the SoundLink Flex, offering more features than the Flex but less battery life and smaller internal audio components than the Max.

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The SoundLink Plus debuts with Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity, a water- and dust-resistant IP67 rating, 20 hours of playtime, and reverse USB-C charging capabilities. Like the SoundLink Max and Flex, it will float in water in case you accidentally drop it.

According to Bose, the SoundLink Plus includes a new acoustic architecture, comprising one subwoofer, one tweeter, and four passive radiators. In conjunction with the internal subwoofer, the four passive radiators should produce big, boomy bass. For comparison, the premium SoundLink Max has two midrange drivers, one tweeter, and two passive radiators.

Considering the two speakers' driver makeup, the SoundLink Max likely has a more sophisticated sound, while the Plus has an intense focus on bass.

SoundLink Micro

The SoundLink Micro is Bose's most pocketable speaker, debuting with meaningful upgrades. Compared to the first-generation SoundLink Micro, the second-generation speaker promises 12 hours of battery life, double the playtime of its predecessor.

The SoundLink Micro (2nd gen) sports a new, removable nylon strap for enhanced portability. Bose has also upgraded the new Micro speaker's charging port from Micro-USB to USB-C, and the Bluetooth version from 4.2 to 5.4.

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Although Bose's speakers are not compatible with Bluetooth Auracast, they are compatible with Bose's Stereo and Party Mode. Any two speakers in Bose's current SoundLink family can be paired together for Party Mode, which allows both speakers to play synced audio. Two of the same speakers can enter Stereo Mode, where one speaker acts as the right audio channel and the other as the left.

Both the SoundLink Plus and Micro are compatible with the Bose app, where users can access EQ settings, Bose SimpleSync, multifunction button customization, and Spotify Tap.

The SoundLink Plus is now available forpreorder on Bose's website for $269 in Black, Blue Dusk, or the limited edition Yellow Citrus. 

Also: One of the most immersive speakers I've ever heard is not made by Sonos or JBL

The SoundLink Micro will be available later this summer for$129 in Black or Blue Dusk.

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