Before its cursed app, Sonos had a clever idea for iPhone audio

Long before Sonos got in the business of shipping cursed apps, the connected audio company had dreams of releasing a MagSafe speaker for iPhone.

Sonos demise documenter Chris Welch at The Verge has the scoop on the product that could have been. According to Welch, Sonos wanted to develop “a miniature speaker that could magnetically” attach to the back of iPhones, to attract Gen Z customers.

Here’s more from his report:

According to images that I’ve seen, Sonos envisioned a more rectangular design. The prototypes were the same overall shape and size as Apple’s discontinued MagSafe Battery Pack, but thicker. Early on, Sonos hoped the magnetic speaker would showcase the innovative transducer technology that came with its acquisition of Mayht Holding in 2022 and deliver surprisingly good sound at a compact size. But technical limitations, questionable appeal, and a limited target market ultimately led to the device being scrapped.

A MagSafe speaker for the iPhone isn’t the worst idea in the world, and Sonos always finds clever ways to innovate with audio. Hopefully, the company isn’t actually in demise either. However, the company did just let go of 12 percent of its workforce, perhaps to make itself a more appealing acquisition target. As long as Samsung doesn’t acquire the brand, its quality hardware will hopefully continue to speak for itself.

In the meantime, take your pick at any number of mini MagSafe speakers that surely sound worse than the iPhone’s built-in speaker.

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