Bose vs Sonos:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Bose had more branded searches than Sonos among smart speaker brands in New Zealand. Bose had about 7,640 branded searches, while Sonos had 5,760. Bose made up 39.7% of all smart speaker brand searches we track, and Sonos accounted for 29.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about smart speaker brands, Sonos appeared in four of the five answers and Bose in none.
Who do people search for more?
Bose, about 33% more searches than Sonos
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Top smart speaker brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Sonos was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Bose did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Sonos1st
Amazon Echo2nd
Apple HomePod3rd
Google Nest4th- Bose–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Amazon Echo5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Apple HomePod5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Sonos4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Google Nest3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Bose0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about smart speaker brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which smart speaker brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best smart speaker brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best smart speaker brand in New Zealand for music and voice control?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best smart speaker”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“voice assistant speaker”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.
Is Bose or Sonos more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Bose and Sonos by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all five smart speaker brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Bose, Sonos. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Bose | Sonos | Google Nest | Amazon Echo | Apple HomePod |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 41% | 23.8% | 16.5% | 11.4% | 7.3% |
| Nov 2025 | 41.1% | 27.4% | 14.2% | 11.3% | 6.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 39.4% | 25.2% | 14.4% | 14.6% | 6.4% |
| Jan 2026 | 37.6% | 25.4% | 17.8% | 11.7% | 7.5% |
| Feb 2026 | 37.1% | 25% | 18.3% | 12% | 7.7% |
| Mar 2026 | 36.5% | 29.2% | 16.1% | 10% | 8.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 37.1% | 28.8% | 16.6% | 10.3% | 7.2% |
| May 2026 | 38.7% | 25.6% | 18.8% | 9.2% | 7.8% |
| Jun 2026 | 39.8% | 24.1% | 19.5% | 8.4% | 8.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 40.9% | 26.4% | 14.1% | 9.7% | 8.9% |
| Aug 2026 | 40.8% | 27.9% | 14.7% | 8.7% | 7.9% |
| Sep 2026 | 39.7% | 29.9% | 11.7% | 9.8% | 8.9% |
How has the Bose and Sonos comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Bose was ahead of Sonos in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bose’s share of searches among smart speaker brands in New Zealand moved from 41% to 39.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 8.3K to 7.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sonos’ share of searches among smart speaker brands in New Zealand moved from 23.8% to 29.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.8K to 5.8K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand smart speaker brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Sonos gained share of searches among smart speaker brands in New Zealand, from 27.9% to 29.9%.
In September 2026, Bose lost share of searches among smart speaker brands in New Zealand, from 40.8% to 39.7%.
How are branded searches counted?
17 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Bose’s and Sonos’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among smart speaker brands
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