#Bose #OpenSources its #SoundTouch home theater #SmartSpeakers ahead of end-of-life
If companies insist on bricking gadgets, this is a better way to do it.
Scharon Harding – Jan 7, 2026 1:51 PM |
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"Bose released the Application Programming Interface (API) documentation for its SoundTouch speakers today, putting a silver lining around the impending end-of-life (#EoL) of the expensive home theater devices.
"In October, Bose announced that its SoundTouch Wi-Fi speakers and soundbars would become dumb speakers on February 18. At the time, Bose said that the speakers would only work if a device was connected via #AUX, #HDMI, or #Bluetooth (which has higher latency than Wi-Fi).
"After that date, the speakers would stop receiving security and software updates and lose cloud connectivity and their companion app, the Framingham, Massachusetts-based company said. Without the app, users would no longer be able to integrate the device with music services, such as Spotify, have multiple SoundTouch devices play the same audio simultaneously, or use or edit saved presets.
"The announcement frustrated some of Bose’s long-time customers, some of whom own multiple SoundTouch devices that still function properly. Many questioned companies’ increasingly common practice of bricking expensive products to focus on new devices or to minimize costs, or because they’ve gone through acquisitions or bankruptcy. SoundTouch speakers released in 2013 and 2015 with prices ranging from $399 to $1,500.
"Today, Bose had better news. In an email to customers, Bose announced that #AirPlay and #SpotifyConnect will still work with SoundTouch speakers after EoL, expanding the wireless capabilities that people will still be able to access.
"Additionally, SoundTouch devices that support #AirPlay2 will be able to play the same audio simultaneously.
"The SoundTouch app will also live on, albeit stripped of some functionality."
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/01/bose-open-sources-its-soundtouch-home-theater-smart-speakers-ahead-of-eol/
#SolarPunkSunday #BoseProducts #Obsolescence #AudioSpeakers #HomeTheater #OpenSource
