Long before Sonos ventured into delivering less-than-ideal apps, the audio technology company had aspirations of launching a MagSafe speaker specifically for iPhones.
Chris Welch, a documentarian of Sonos’ struggles at The Verge, shares insights about this unfulfilled product. According to Welch, Sonos aimed to create “a compact speaker that could magnetically” attach to the rear of iPhones, targeting a younger Gen Z audience.
Here’s additional information from his report:
Based on the images I’ve reviewed, Sonos imagined a more rectangular format. The prototypes resembled the shape and size of Apple’s now-discontinued MagSafe Battery Pack, although they were thicker. Initially, Sonos intended for the magnetic speaker to showcase the advanced transducer technology from its 2022 acquisition of Mayht Holding and deliver impressive sound quality in a compact design. Unfortunately, technical challenges, uncertain market interest, and a narrowly defined target demographic ultimately led to the cancellation of the device.
A MagSafe speaker for the iPhone could have been a clever concept, and Sonos is known for their innovative approaches to audio. One can only hope that the company won’t face total collapse. However, it’s worth noting that the company recently reduced its workforce by 12 percent, possibly as part of a strategy to enhance its appeal to potential buyers. As long as Samsung doesn’t take over the brand, its strong hardware reputation should continue to shine.
In the meantime, there are various mini MagSafe speakers available that likely won’t match the sound quality of the iPhone’s built-in speaker.
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