Sonos, an audio product manufacturer, is planning to release a slew of new products in 2024 to compete against Apple devices, including headphones and a set-top box.
In recent weeks, the company has strongly hinted at releasing its first-ever pair of headphones next year. Industry insider Mark Gurman estimated the release of the product to be as early as April and is rumored to cost somewhere between $400 and $500.
Sonos To Release New Products in 2024
There is at least one marquee feature of the headphones, which will be their ability to synchronize music with other Sonos products inside your home. The products would also include Sonos Voice Control, which is a feature that is already heavily focused on music-related commands.
Sonos is also said to have been working on the headphones since 2019 but had canceled earlier versions of the product. This means that the company's past patent filings will likely have little bearing on the final piece of hardware that could come out next year, as per The Verge.
Rumors suggest that after the headphones, Sonos could come out with its own set of wireless earbuds. During the company's quarterly earnings call last week, CEO Patrick Spence confirmed that the firm plans to enter a "new multi-billion dollar category in the second half of the [fiscal] year."
Spence noted that this would account for the majority of the $100 million that the tech company expects to take in from new product launches coming next year. Reports also noted that Sonos is planning a TV streaming device that it would release in late 2024 or early 2025.
The audio product manufacturer has telegraphed its video interests in the last few years through job postings that pertain to a "Home Theater OS." Voice control is expected to play a crucial role on the device, which is described as a small black box.
The reports also suggest that Sonos is not planning to introduce a more technical feature than the products that Apple has. Instead, it would focus on customization and fine-tuning south with a "Passport" app, according to Mac Rumors.
Competing Against Apple Devices
In the case of the set-top box, Sonos is developing an Android-based operating system and it is expected to be priced between $150 and $200. The company's effort in creating its own video service is evidenced by discussions with cable companies.
The tech company is also developing new amplifiers and in-ceiling speakers for professional installers, a version of the Era 100 speaker for businesses, and a high-end TV soundbar. The latter would be considered an update to the Arc.
The development comes after Sonos finally addressed the striking audio disruption with its Arc and second-gen Beam soundbars that has been plaguing users since at least December 2020. A staff member for the company said that products could receive corrupted audio from the connection through HDMI that the products failed to filter out.
The worker said that the corrupted audio "can manifest as a popping sound." The Sonos devices' improved Dolby decoder should no longer force users to listen to unintended sounds when digital audio transmission goes awry, said Ars Technica.
