LG’s new speakers will play music whenever your smatphone is nearby

It’s CES time already. Yes, the Consumer Electronics Show isn’t here yet, but the first product launch is. LG has unveiled its newest Music Flow products, including three speakers and three sound bars with some twists. The new products have many of the usual features, including Bluetooth connectivity and a Sonos-like option to connect to devices using your home Wi-Fi network. LG is also introducing its first battery-powered speaker, and the new range includes an interesting feature that can automatically play music from your smartphone when it is near.

Sonos’ total dominance of the multi-room audio market shows no signs of letting up, but that’s not stopping other companies from trying. LG’s been at it for a while now, and tonight it’s introducing three new speakers meant to convince consumers that yes, better options than Sonos just might exist. The smallest new member of LG’s Music Flow lineup can run on battery power, giving it a standout feature compared to Sonos’ entry-level Play:1 speaker. That model, the NP8350 has a 20-watt rating, and LG is also rolling out three other, more powerful Wi-Fi speakers, led by the 70W NP8740. Three new Wi-Fi soundbars have also been announced tonight, so the Sonos Playbar is also getting some fresh competition. Similar to the Sonos system, you can pair LG’s Wi-Fi speakers with the company’s soundbar and set them to operate as rear left and right channels for a true surround experience during movies.