Sonos’ Ambitious MagSafe Speaker Project Comes to a Halt
Sonos had ambitious plans to release a MagSafe-compatible speakers-from-tether-ledger-ton-animoca-brands-and-more/” title=”Get Ready for an Unforgettable Blockchain Life 2024 in Dubai with Top Speakers from Tether, Ledger, TON, Animoca Brands and More!”>speaker designed specifically for iPhones. The concept involved a speaker that would magnetically attach to the back of the iPhone, offering superior audio performance compared to the device’s built-in speakers.
Unfortunately, due to various technical challenges, these aspirations have been put on hold indefinitely.
The Vision Behind Sonos’ MagSafe Speaker
Renowned for its high-quality audio equipment like soundbars and smart speakers, Sonos recently launched its premiere headphones—the Sonos Ace—in 2024. However, this year didn’t unfold smoothly for the company as its new app faced significant hurdles. The highly anticipated S2 app was marred by bugs and unfinished features, which led to dissatisfaction among loyal users. This turmoil contributed to substantial leadership changes within the company; most notably, it resulted in CEO Patrick Spence’s dismissal alongside workforce reductions.
Prior to these setbacks with their app’s rollout, insiders reported that Sonos engineers were developing an innovative MagSafe speaker that would partially rely on Bluetooth technology for streaming music since MagSafe does not facilitate data transmission. According to The Verge, initial prototypes displayed a rectangular shape reminiscent of Apple’s own MagSafe Battery Pack but were noticeably bulkier.
The plan was also centered around leveraging Sonos’ proprietary transducer technology aiming for enhanced auditory quality despite the compact size of the speaker. Ultimately though, concerns over “technical limitations,” unclear market appeal, and a narrow target audience compelled Sonos to halt any further pursuit of this product concept. For context on this technology application: last year saw its debut in Sonos’ Arc Ultra Soundbar model.
Addressing Quality Issues Takes Precedence
Tied down by challenges related with customer retention and regaining trust after disappointing user experiences with their software updates, it appears increasingly unlikely that we will witness any realization of the proposed MagSafe speaker from Sonos anytime soon. As stated by former CEO Spence himself: rectifying issues related primarily to their problematic app remains at top priority!
While there are alternative external speakers integrating MagSafe capabilities available on the market currently—most offering very basic features—they fail largely when it comes ensuring exceptional sound output.