Following on from the chance discovery of the latest collaboration between Ikea and Symfonisk, namely the Picture Frame WiFi Speaker, Ikea has now officially unveiled this new product, which is a collaboration – the third in fact – between Ikea and Sonos, following on from the bookshelf speaker and lamp speaker that both came out in 2019. The new SYMFONISK picture frame WiFi speaker also serves as a piece of art that seamlessly blends into the home. The speaker will come in a black or a white version, with interchangeable fronts to offer a variety of looks.
The space-saving picture frame speaker can hang on its own on the wall as an eye-catching art piece, be matched with other art on the wall, be placed on a shelf or on the floor, leaning against the wall. The interchangeable fronts make it easy to choose a style that suits your individual home”, says Stjepan Begic, product developer at IKEA of Sweden. “As part of the growing IKEA Home smart range, this new speaker contributes to our ambition to enable the many to enjoy a smarter everyday life,” he adds.
The SYMFONISK picture frame speaker connects over WiFi and can be used as the only sound source in a room or connected with other products from the SYMFONISK range or other Sonos products. As with the previous SYMFONISK products, this new speaker is also part of the Sonos system, which means listeners can connect to more than 100 streaming services as well as the full range of Sonos products. Starting from 15 July 2021, the SYMFONISK picture frame WiFi speaker will be available in IKEA stores and on IKEA.com in Europe and North America – other regions will follow later on.
Of course, also like the previous speakers, the new Picture frame speaker will be compatible with AirPlay 2, which means it gets exposed to HomeKit as well for use in automations and scenes.
“Each SYMFONISK speaker combines the Sonos sound experience with IKEA design in surprising new ways, creating products neither company would create alone,” says Sara Morris, Principal Product Manager at Sonos. “Sonos’ acoustic design means the picture frame speaker sounds amazing for such a compact shape, and the Sonos app means it is effortless to set up and effortless to use. This long-term collaboration continues to deliver exciting new ideas that will bring great listening experiences to homes across the globe – we look forward to delivering more unique products together in the future.”
The speaker is reported to be going on sale for approximately €179, £179, and US$199, in Europe, the UK, and the USA respectively, on July 15th, with availability in further regions at a later date.