Venturing into unconventional product categories appears to be one of Sonos’ forte because shortly after it was reported that the company was developing a premium streaming box that would be more expensive than the Apple TV 4K, the audio equipment manufacturer is now reported to have explored a MagSafe speaker for the iPhone. While the idea of listening to music or enjoying crisp sound when watching videos on a mobile phone sounds convenient, the plan to put it into mass production was ultimately scrapped, as a series of problems, including technical limitations, ended up getting in the way.
There was also the problem of the MagSafe speaker being a niche product, and Sonos would not have been able to target a larger market
Based on the images spotted by The Verge’s Chris Welch, the Sonos MagSafe speaker for the iPhone featured a rectangular design and was almost the same size as Apple’s now discontinued MagSafe Battery Pack but thicker. The idea behind creating the prototype was that the device would appeal to the Gen Z crowd, with the speaker expected to deliver impressive audio quality despite the compact size.
Unfortunately, this iPhone accessory would never materialize because of a myriad of problems affecting its entry into mass production. For instance, technical limitations were one of them, but even if Sonos and its brilliant engineers found a way past this obstacle, the product had questionable appeal and would likely target a limited audience. A device that is equivalent to the footprint of Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack would likely have terrible battery life, which would get in the way of a great user experience.
Of course, this MagSafe speaker is not the first crazy idea that has popped into the head of Sonos, as there are various concepts and prototypes that do not see the light of day. Regardless, with the latest layoffs initiated by the company’s interim CEO Tim Conrad, we should see the firm more focused on delivering products that appeal to the masses.
News Source: The Verge
