Sonos is reportedly working on a top-secret home theater system
A Sonos operating system could be on the cards
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TheSonosecosystem ofwireless speakersandsoundbarsmight be on the verge of a big upgrade, if rumors of a new home theater operating system are to be believed.
According toProtocol, which cites “multiple sources” who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Sonos is hiring people to work on a new Home Theater OS project, with job descriptions that suggest the company plans to run apps directly on TVs.
Sonos has apparently been considering various ways to break into TV streaming over the past few years. While the company has created the comprehensive S2 app, which allows users to control theirSonos speakers, create different groupings, and stream music, it’s never made this app available on TVs.
That could all be about to change, though withSonos posting an job adfor a UX Lead - Next Generation Home Experience. The successful candidate will “work across deliver surfaces (mobile, television, tablet, and HW remote) to deliver a next-generation content delivery experience'”. Applicants need to have eight to 12 years designing UX for mobile and/or TV.
Other job listings for the project ask for applicants to have experience in modernoperating systems, including Android/Android TV, which further suggests a big focus on TV from the company.
While Sonos is yet to comment on whether it is working on a home theater operating system, we do know that the company is branching out. Sonos' chief innovation officer, Nick Millington, shared one of the job listingson LinkedIn, saying that he’s working on “a new home theater project”, and the role would suit anyone with experience in streaming media such as “audio, video, games, sports, music, news, movies, TV, news, podcasts.”
So, the new Sonos Home Theater OS could be pretty far-reaching, extending into lots of other kinds of content besides music streaming - perhaps even acting as a one-stop-shop for TV, radio,podcasts, gaming, and music, tying in all your various subscriptions into one place.
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What about the Sonos wireless headphones?
The news that Sonos could be working on a newhome theateroperating system suggests that the company might not be looking to branch out into the world ofheadphonesthis year, as we had previously thought.
We’ve seen a few patents forwireless headphonesandearbudsfrom the company, and as Sonos tends to release two new products a year, we were hoping that 2022 would see in the first pair ofSonos headphones.
Sonos is a big name in multiroom audio, so a pair of headphones from the company could really shake up the competition - especially if they come with Wi-Fi connectivity and the ability to ‘swap’ audio to other Sonos devices, like theSonos Roam.
However, it looks like Sonos is very much focusing on the world of home cinema with its rumored operating system - and with the success of theSonos ArcandSonos Beam (Gen 2)soundbars in recent years, that’s not a huge surprise. It’s also rumored that Sonos is working on theSonos Sub Mini, a smaller version of its popular subwoofer, so a home theater OS would compliment that nicely.
In any case, we may not have too long to wait until we find out what the next Sonos device will be. The company released its first product of 2021 in April last year, and if it wants to stick to its rather rigid release schedule, you can expect a new Sonos product to launch in the next few months.
Olivia was previously TechRadar’s Senior Editor - Home Entertainment, covering everything from headphones to TVs. Based in London, she’s a popular music graduate who worked in the music industry before finding her calling in journalism. She’s previously been interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live on the subject of multi-room audio, chaired panel discussions on diversity in music festival lineups, and her bylines include T3, Stereoboard, What to Watch, Top Ten Reviews, Creative Bloq, and Croco Magazine. Olivia now has a career in PR.
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