IKEA teamed up with Sonos to launch a new line of smart speakers called "Symfonisk," and as of today, those speakers are available for purchase in IKEA retail stores across the United States.
The Symfonisk Table Lamp functions as a standard lamp but it's also got a smart speaker base, with "rich and vibrant sound" according to IKEA. It comes in both black and white and is designed to save space by combining a lamp with speaker functionality.
The Symfonisk Bookshelf Speaker also has a dual purpose, attaching to a wall with a speaker bracket and serving as a bookshelf for small items. The rectangular speaker can also be as a standard speaker or hung up on Symfonisk speaker hooks.
Both of the speakers can be controlled through the Sonos app and both support AirPlay 2, allowing them to be used for multi-room audio with other AirPlay 2 devices. As with all Sonos devices, music, podcasts, radio, and more can be streamed over Wi-Fi even without a smartphone or tablet nearby.
Purchasing two of the same speakers allows for stereo sound to be set up, and Sonos also says that two speakers paired together can be used for a Sonos home theatre system.
Sonos CEO Patrick Spence previously suggested that the Symfonisk Table Lamp's audio quality would be similar to the Sonos One speaker, and reviews have thus far been decent.
The speakers are in IKEA stores today and can be located using the website's store locator, and they should also be available online in the near future.
Wednesday May 21, 2025 8:21 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Google recently made waves by showcasing a set of lightweight smart glasses featuring deep Gemini integration and an optional in-lens display. The demo has reignited interest in Apple's own smart glasses project, which has been the subject of rumors for nearly a decade. Here's a recap of where things stand.
Current Development Status
Apple is actively working on new chips specifically...
Apple is planning to launch a set of smart glasses by the end of 2026, reports Bloomberg. The glasses will be comparable to the Meta Ray-Bans and the Android XR glasses that Google showed off earlier this week.
Apple's smart glasses are expected to include cameras, microphones, and AI capabilities, much like the Meta Ray-Bans. The glasses will be able to take photos, record video, provide...
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature.
According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
Wednesday May 21, 2025 10:27 am PDT by Juli Clover
OpenAI is acquiring io, the hardware-based AI startup co-created by Jony Ive, OpenAI announced today. Ive has been working with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on io for two years, and the duo expects to develop a family of AI devices.
In a video shared by OpenAI, Altman and Ive outlined their partnership and what they expect to create as a result of the merger. "I have a growing sense that everything ...
Apple today announced a more detailed schedule for its annual developers conference WWDC, which runs from June 9 through June 13. The schedule confirms that Apple's keynote will begin on Monday, June 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with a live stream to be available on Apple.com, in the Apple TV app, and on YouTube.
During the keynote, Apple is expected to announce iOS 19, iPadOS 19, macOS 16,...
The big news in the technology world this week is that ChatGPT maker OpenAI is working more closely with Apple's former design chief Jony Ive on a futuristic AI device. The company is remaining tight lipped about the device, but Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has shared some alleged details about its design.
In a social media post today, Kuo said the device will be "slightly larger" ...
The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple's annual developer and software-oriented event, is less than three weeks away. We haven't heard a great deal about macOS 16 ahead of its announcement this year, so we could be in for some major surprises when June 9 rolls around. Here's what we know so far about the next major update to Apple's Mac operating system.
macOS 16 Name?
Every year ...
The Sonos ecosystem spreads like cancer. Why would anybody spend so much on speakers that are so horribly locked in? There is no reason for this high amount of lock-down other than vendor-bondage.
I mean.....you're talking to Apple customers......we kinda' are okay with being "locked in".
The Sonos ecosystem spreads like cancer. Why would anybody spend so much on speakers that are so horribly locked in? There is no reason for this high amount of lock-down other than vendor-bondage.
You have actually prompted me to create an account to respond.
SONOS supports more than 120 music services including Airplay/Apple Music, local mp3, aac, FLAC libraries. How on earth do you think this is locked down?
The Sonos ecosystem spreads like cancer. Why would anybody spend so much on speakers that are so horribly locked in? There is no reason for this high amount of lock-down other than vendor-bondage.
What’s the lock in? They work with Airplay, so basically every service I can think of works just fine with them.
Really... I've had a HomePod for about a year and a half. And every Apple Music request has been faithfully executed, at least 95% of the time. And that's from distances up to 20 feet away, with music in play.
