Sonos confirms it canned a TV streaming box – and it sounds like the right call
Sonos confirms it was planning a video streaming box, but cancelled it because the manpower wasn't there to execute the product well
Sonos has confirmed it developed and planned to launch a TV streaming box before cancelling the project entirely. The word comes directly from the CEO Tom Conrad who admitted in an interview with Bloomberg that the device codenamed ‘Pinewood’ did exist and even had a planned release date.
In the end, Conrad decreed that the company was stretched too thin with its audio products and sorting out the mess of the official app debacle to execute a new device in a new category to match the company’s high standards. Conrad, who was promoted after the departure of Patrick Spence over the app redesign that infuriated the user base and tested the loyalty of the company’s most avid fans.
In the interview, which largely focuses on the new Sonos Play and Era 100 EL announced today, Conrad said that the device reportedly tipped for 2024, wouldn’t have been out by now, due to the lack of a staffing plan to achieve the vision. He said: “Whatever you might think about that — good idea, bad idea — we just didn’t have enough software resources to execute it well.”
Fair enough. Another underwhelming device at this time might have been curtains for Sonos’ reputation – especially given the first stab at headphones with the Sonos Ace wasn’t exactly a slam dunk either. At the time, reports suggested Sonos had planned to charge an insane $400 (about £320) for the set top box which was tipped to have multiple HDMI inputs to act as a hub for all of your gaming and audio devices.
While that would have been a novel idea, it would be unlikely to command a big audience at more than double the price of an Apple TV 4K or Amazon Fire TV Stick. The decision to cancel the device altogether appears to be a wise one from Conrad. It bodes well for the future of Sonos.
Chris Smith
