Ikea started teasing some kind of collaboration with Sonos back in 2017, before showing off prototypes of a budget speaker range last summer. The company has now revealed that we’ll get to see actual Ikea-Sonos speakers in April.
Ikea has been making a name for itself as a budget player in the smart home field, though its HomeKit compatibility has consistently been late in arriving. The company started out with Trådfri light bulbs, branched out into smart plugs, and more recently HomeKit-compatible window blinds.
The US launch of the blinds was originally promised for April, but has now been delayed to an unspecified date.
Ikea says that sound and light are natural companions when it comes to creating the right atmosphere at home.
We don’t yet have details of pricing, but it’s a given that the speaker range will be below Sonos pricing, while still offering compatibility with the real thing. Imagery suggests that there will either be both freestanding and wall-mounting options for the same speakers, or different models depending on your preference.
“Together with Sonos we wanted to combine our home furnishing knowledge with their expertise in creating great sound experiences for every room of the home, and in Milan we want you to experience the real difference that sound and light makes in your life”, says Björn Block, Business Leader for Ikea Home Smart.
The company has teased August as the likely availability date for at least part of the Ikea-Sonos speaker range.
