Do you have an iPhone? If so, you probably store lots of audio content on your device, from music to podcasts to audiobooks and more. Many speakers on the market make it easy to stream audio content right from your iPhone, including Apple's line of speakers. Meant for home use, their wired HomePods come with built-in Apple AirPlay capabilities so you can stream audio from your iPhone when connected to the same Wi-Fi network. However, if you want something more portable, many great Bluetooth speakers for iPhone are also available. With only a few HomePod speakers on the market, our list focuses on these Bluetooth models, but if you're shopping for a wired device, you can also check out our recommendations for the best home speakers.
We've tested over 140 speakers, and below are our recommendations for the best AirPlay speakers, or those that work well with iPhones. See our picks for the best Alexa speakers and the best budget and cheap Bluetooth speakers.
The best Bluetooth speaker for iPhone we've tested is the Sonos Move 2. This premium speaker is packed with features to make the most of your listening experience both in and out of the home. It boasts a sleek and premium design that's ideal for your living room decor, with built-in voice assistant support so you can check the weather, add ingredients to your grocery list, and more. It's battery-powered, so you can easily move it from room to room or take it to the backyard for outdoor listening. Since it's rated IP56 for dust and water resistance, it's even protected against some exposure to the elements.
This speaker also has some features designed for easy integration with your iPhone. You can stream audio from your iPhone or iPad via Apple AirPlay. Its Sonos S2 companion app is available on iOS; it lets you connect the device to other Sonos products to spread audio throughout your home, as well as customize the speaker's sound. The room correction feature called Auto Trueplay is only fully available through iOS devices, and it optimizes the speaker's sound to your room's unique acoustics. iPhone users will appreciate that they can make the most of their listening experience with this premium device.
The Ultimate Ears EPICBOOM is one of the best portable speakers for iPhone, available at a more affordable price than our top pick. This speaker comes in both black and white and is a great choice for listening to all sorts of audio content. It reproduces voices and lead instruments with clarity, and the bass has a bit of extra warmth to bring genres like EDM to life. You can manually customize it using its graphic EQ and presets or let its Adaptive EQ feature do the work. This room correction tool automatically analyzes the acoustics of your listening space to bring the best possible sound.
Ranking among the best speakers for iPhone we've tested, this device is more than suitable for listening to your favorite tunes out of the house, too. It's a little heavy, but its built-in handle makes it easier to transport. Plus, it's rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, so it can withstand some exposure to the elements. One downside is its battery life, which falls just short of eight hours. Voice assistants aren't built-in, so you'll need to pair up a third-party device to use it with your voice. Even if you aren't interested in these features, you may still find it's a better value overall.
On a tighter budget? Check out the Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3. This cylindrical speaker comes in many colors to suit your style, and it's a great choice for listening to music from a paired iPhone. You can connect over Bluetooth to enjoy a clean and clear representation of vocal and lead instruments in all your favorite tracks. The Ultimate Ears app is easy to download onto your iPhone, and it lets you access many extra features, including a graphic EQ to customize the speaker's sound to your liking. There are even some preset modes on hand.
This portable Bluetooth speaker boasts an even smaller and more lightweight design than our top picks, so it's an even better value if you're shopping with portability in mind. That said, given its smaller design, it's not a surprise that it doesn't reproduce as much bass as the Ultimate Ears EPICBOOM. You aren't likely to notice a difference with vocal-centric content, like podcasts, but fans of bass-heavy music like EDM might be disappointed by the lack of thump reproduced by the speaker. It lacks an Adaptive EQ tool, too. Still, this speaker remains a solid pick if you want a simple Bluetooth speaker and don't need these extra features.
Even if you want to spend less on a speaker, some great budget-friendly options on the market are easy to use with your iPhone, including the Anker Soundcore Flare 2. For a low price, it makes a noticeable improvement compared to listening to music through your iPhone's built-in speakers, with clear and accurate reproduction of voices and other instruments in the mix. Plus, it has a cool design with flashing lights that you can customize in its app to bring more excitement to your favorite tunes. While in the app, you can even switch up the speaker's sound thanks to its graphic EQ and presets.
Overall, this speaker has a small and portable design that lets you bring the party with you on the go, so you can carry it around with your iPhone to listen to music. You can pair it with your iPhone over Bluetooth to listen to your favorite tracks and also use Siri through your phone to control the device. It's rated IPX7 for water resistance, meaning it can withstand some exposure to the elements, and its eight-hour battery life is good for a day on the go. Unfortunately, its battery doesn't last as long as the Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3, so you'll have to charge it up more often. Still, for the price, this speaker is a great choice for iPhone users.
The best cheap option we've tested for iPhones is the Anker Soundcore 3. It's a small, portable Bluetooth speaker that's easy to pair to your iPhone to listen to your favorite tunes. Despite its small size, it still offers decent sound quality, especially with more vocal-centric content like podcasts or the news. It stands out from similarly priced models thanks to its companion app, which you can download onto your iPhone to access a graphic EQ and presets to adjust its sound.
This speaker is rated IPX7 for water resistance, which is handy if you want to use it outside. It even lasts for over 13 hours off a single charge. While its sound quality isn't quite as impressive as the larger and more premium models on our list, it remains a solid plug-and-play pick for iPhone users shopping on a budget.
Apple fans will recognize the Apple HomePod (2nd generation), which keeps the same signature design as the first generation model for easy integration into your living room setup. This wired device is available in both midnight and white color variants and includes built-in Siri support for hands-free control. It does an excellent job of picking up voice commands; you can even use it as a smart hub to control other smart accessories in your house. Naturally, this speaker pairs up easily with your iPhone, so it's the best AirPlay speaker for home use that we've tested.
Compared to the first-generation model, this speaker shines regarding bass reproduction. With more thump and rumble reproduced in the mix, it's well-suited for listening to bass-heavy genres like EDM and hip-hop. Its built-in room correction tool automatically optimizes the audio reproduction based on your room's unique acoustics, which is a premium touch. Unfortunately, Apple still hasn't added any sound customization tools for its speakers, so you can't manually switch up its sound. Still, it's a great pick for iPhone users, and the more affordable Apple HomePod mini is another solid alternative if you want AirPlay and Siri compatibility but are okay with less bass in the mix.
Aug 30, 2024: We've updated this article to include the Sonos Roam 2 as a Notable Mention due to its AirPlay support and the upgrades to its controls. Otherwise, we've checked this article to ensure all our picks are up-to-date and have made no changes.
Jun 04, 2024: We've checked all our picks to ensure they all remain in stock.
Mar 29, 2024: We haven't tested many speakers recently that fit this article, so our picks remain the same. We've checked to ensure they're all in stock, though, and have made minor edits to the text to ensure it remains accurate.
Feb 01, 2024: Each pick remains the best choice for its category. No pick changes.
Dec 08, 2023: Replaced the Sonos Move with the next-generation Sonos Move 2.
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best speakers for most people to buy for iPhone, according to their needs. We factor in the price (cheaper speakers win over pricier ones if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no speakers that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you would like to choose for yourself, here's the list of all our reviews for Bluetooth speakers. Be careful not to get caught up in the details. There are no perfect speakers. Personal taste, preference, and listening habits will matter more in your selection.