Ikea is working with Sonos on a hidden speaker built into art you hang on the wall - The Verge

Ikea and Sonos are starting to tease the next products that the two companies have collaborated on. The furniture giant today posted an Instagram story that directly mentions the “Symfonisk” line and flashes the Sonos logo at the end, so there’s little doubt that new hardware is coming soon. Two fresh filings have also just appeared at the Federal Communications Commission.

The Verge can exclusively share details on what’s coming. The first new product, covered in this filing, is a revamped version of the Symfonisk table lamp. It’s expected to be sold for around the same price ($179) as the original product, which basically stuffed the sound quality of a Sonos Play:1 into the body of a lamp.

But from what The Verge understands, the $99 Symfonisk bookshelf speaker — the most affordable gateway into the Sonos platform — is not due for any major updates. Instead, the second product that Ikea and Sonos will announce in 2021 is completely new: a piece of wall art with an integrated speaker.

Companies like Soundwall have produced artwork speakers before, but it’s safe to assume that Ikea and Sonos are targeting a price point that’s dramatically lower than those expensive products.

The Verge has seen an early image of this product, codenamed “Titan,” but details about how it functions couldn’t yet be learned. Specifically, it’s unclear whether the entire artwork print is the product or if the speaker unit can be transferred between different exterior art housings. One of the two new FCC filings from Ikea and Sonos is for a “wireless module.” At a distance, it could look like any of Ikea’s wall prints, only with much more tech on the other side (and a power cord running down from the bottom).

Do you know more about upcoming Ikea and Sonos products? Reach out to me at welch@theverge.com or through Twitter DM @chriswelch. You can also message me securely with Signal at 845-445-8455 or use SecureDrop or Signal to send messages and files to The Verge without revealing your identity.

All of the Symfonisk products so far have been designed with a dual purpose in mind. The lamp combines a speaker and light source; the bookshelf speaker can literally be used as a shelf when mounted to a wall. And they’re also meant to blend into home decor. From that angle, combining artwork and a music speaker seems like a natural progression for the Symfonisk series.

I’ve heard from a fair number of Sonos customers who use the Symfonisk bookshelf speakers as rear surrounds for Sonos’ Arc and Beam soundbars. They work very well for that purpose, but a stereo pair of wall art speakers could make for an even sleeker home theater setup.

Ikea and Sonos have not yet revealed exactly when they plan to announce their latest collaborative efforts. The Verge has reached out to Sonos for comment. In the immediate future, Sonos is gearing up for the launch of its new Sonos Roam, a product first leaked by The Verge, which starts shipping on April 20th. You can read my full review of that excellent portable speaker.

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