The past year hasn’t exactly been… great for Sonos. Now, the brand has allegedly hit the pause button on its much-rumoured video streaming ambitions.
Sonos just shelved plans for a streaming box that was shaping up to be an Apple TV rival. According to a report from The Verge, the device, internally known as Pinewood, has been unceremoniously canned “for now,” following an announcement made during a company-wide all-hands call.
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This news comes after more than a year of speculation that Sonos was preparing to release a video streamer party to sit alongside popular options from Apple, Amazon, Google, and Roku. The Pinewood box was rumoured to run Android, act as an HDMI switch, and integrate with Sonos’ surround sound setups. The projected price? Anywhere from $200/£200 to $400/£400. So, pricier than most of its rivals, which is very on-brand.
But alas, it’s not happening. Interim CEO Tom Conrad reportedly told employees the project is “shelved for now.” It’s probably for the best. Sonos has spent the past year stumbling over itself, from a shaky app relaunch that annoyed loyal users to the lukewarm reception of its debut wireless headphones, the Sonos Ace. Things got so wobbly that longtime CEO Patrick Spence exited in January, leaving Conrad holding the reins while the company tries to patch things up.
The Sonos says its focus right now is on “improving the quality of the app experience and rebuilding customer trust.” But that’s not to say 2025 will be a total write-off for Sonos hardware. There’s still hope we’ll see the Beam Gen 3 soundbar this year. Last year’s Arc Ultra left critics singing its praises, so there’s proof Sonos can still pull off a win when it doesn’t rush things out the door.
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