Sonos has discontinued development on a premium streaming set-top box that was anticipated to be released in 2025, according to reports from The Verge.
The company notified its employees of the cancellation during a meeting today and has reassigned those involved in the project to different teams. This set-top box was intended to be Sonos’ flagship product for the latter half of 2025, and significant resources had been allocated to its development.
Although it was nearing completion and had undergone several months of beta testing, interim CEO Tom Conrad has opted to shift Sonos’ strategic focus, resulting in the abandonment of its video initiative for the time being.
The now-abandoned “Pinewood” project was designed to compete with devices like the Apple TV and other streaming boxes, with a projected price range of $200 to $400.
It was envisioned as a sleek black box featuring an aesthetically pleasing Android interface that would provide access to content from platforms such as Netflix, Max, Disney Plus, and various other streaming services.
Sonos aimed to minimize fragmentation within the streaming landscape, and to set its streaming box apart from competitors, it was designed to function as an HDMI switch as well. This would have allowed users to connect gaming consoles, soundbars, and other devices through passthrough functionality, addressing a latency issue that had long been a concern for Sonos.
The company intends to focus on software enhancements to rectify the issues caused by the problematic app update released last May.
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