Sonos could be working on its first wireless earbuds
Two pairs of Sonos earbuds were revealed in a patent
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Sonoscould be working on a pair oftrue wireless earbuds, according to a patent discovered byZats Not Funny(viaPocket Lint).
The patentdescribes two differentwireless earbudsdesigns, as well as three options for charging cases with some novel approaches to extend playtime, including detachable battery plates.
Some of theearbudsalso sport unusual designs. One of the images in the patent shows a pair of true wireless earbuds with long, ovaloid housings, that slot into either side of a charging case.
It’s not a design we’ve seen before, and it could be a clever way to reduce the size of the charging case, with no need for bulky lids. Whether a charging case that doesn’t actually cover the earbuds will provide enough protection, remains to be seen.
What about the Sonos wireless headphones?
As with any patent, there’s no guarantee that the products described in the filing will ever see the light of day – but it’s certainly a good indication that Sonos is looking to expand beyond the world ofwireless speakersandsoundbars.
It’s not the first time that we’ve heard Sonos will branch out into the world of personal audio, with rumors that Sonos is working on a pair of wirelessover-ear headphonesbeing circulated sinceearly 2019.
We’ve seen a number of patents so far, describing how thefirst Sonos headphoneswould interact with other Sonos products, allowing them to seamlessly integrate with existing multi-room audio setups – something that rivals likeSony, Sennheiser, and Bose don’t offer.
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According to a report fromBloomberg, the first Sonoswireless headphoneswill likely have multiple virtual assistants that would function similarly to the company’sSonos ArcandSonos Onespeakers, and would focus on offering a high-end audio performance.
Bloomberg’s sources also suggested that Sonos could target a price point of around $300 (£200 / AU$400) – cheaper than theSony WH-1000XM4, but not by much – and would launch in 2020. Of course, they never materialized, and rumors have been thin on the ground since then.
Previously, Sonos CEO Patrick Spence confirmed that the company is looking to release two products per year – and since we had theSonos Roamin March, the next offering from the audio company could well be a pair ofheadphonesor wireless earbuds.
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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