Sonos reportedly scrapped plans to launch its streaming video device. The Apple TV rival was “deep into development,” yet the company decided to pull the plug on its release.
The streaming device was going to be Sonos’ next big hardware product.
Sonos streaming video box gets pushed back
Sonos had a disastrous 2024, all thanks to the launch of its half-baked revamped mobile app. At release, it lacked many basic features, with connectivity woes only worsening matters. Following the widespread criticism and declining sales, Sonos considered reviving its old app while it took time to fix the new one. Sadly, it was not technically possible.
Eventually, the app debacle led Sonos CEO Patrick Spence to step down from his role at the beginning of this year. However, this does not mark the end of the saga for Sonos.
The Verge reports that the company’s leadership has decided to cancel the launch of its next major hardware, a streaming video player. Codenamed Pinewood, Sonos’ Apple TV rival would have launched in the second half of 2025. But that won’t happen now, as the company no longer has any major product announcement planned for H2. This is despite the device already being in late development stages and having been beta tested internally for months.
The streaming device would have run an OS provided by The Trade Desk and supported HDMI passthrough for gaming consoles, Blu-ray players, and other devices. It would also seamlessly integrate with Sonos speakers to deliver a more immersive surround sound experience.
Sonos wants to fix its app experience first
Instead of Pinewood, Sonos’ leadership wants everyone inside the company to focus on improving its software experience. They will reportedly reassign the team working on the streaming device to other projects.
A report from February revealed that Sonos scrapped plans to launch a MagSafe speaker for iPhone due to technical limitations.
