IKEA Bluetooth speakers rise from the ashes of SYMFONISK, with many more to come
Ending their partnership with Sonos earlier this year, IKEA has bold ambitions for their smart home devices, including ten new speakers.
In 2017, IKEA partnered with Sonos on their SYMFONISK line. This partnership saw products that hid high-quality, wi-fi connected speakers into furniture, such as lamps and picture frames. Announced earlier this year, the partnership is now over, with IKEA phasing out the existing stock. While unclear at the time, the reason for this is now clearer with the latest announcement from IKEA.
IKEA has announced plans to launch more connected home devices with support for the Matter protocol. IKEA says in January next year, they will launch over 20 new smart products, all supporting Matter, the unified, open-source connectivity protocol. Rather than locking users down to one ecosystem, such as Google, Amazon or Apple, Matter opens up communication between brands, simplifying smart home devices. IKEA hopes this will make building out the smart home more simple and affordable. This starts with DIRIGERA, IKEA’s smart home hub which now supports Matter.
Until now, smart home technology hasn’t been easy enough to use for most people — or affordable enough for many to consider. Bringing Matter to our products means we are taking a big step in the right direction, offering compatibility across brands, and lowering the threshold for people to get started. Our goal is to make the smart home easy to use, easy to understand, and within reach for the many.
David Granath, Range Manager, IKEA of Sweden
In the same announcement, IKEA shared their future plans for speakers, with one new speaker available now, a speaker and lamp coming in October, and up to ten more coming next year.
We’ve learned a great deal about creating high-quality sound experiences that are easy to use. We understand how people want to furnish with sound in a way that adds atmosphere and feels natural in the home. Those learnings continue to guide us as we bring the worlds of home furnishing and sound closer together. Our aim is to make sound accessible, functional, and enjoyable — without adding complexity. That’s what sets us apart, and that’s what we’ll keep building on as we shape the next chapter of what sound can be in the home.
David Granath, Range Manager, IKEA of Sweden
This starts with the new NATTBAD Bluetooth speaker. Designed like an old radio, the speaker is available now in yellow, pink, and black for $49.99.
Coming in October is the BLOMPRAKT table speaker and LED light bulb. The top is angled, which adds a unique look and allows you to easily direct the light. The BLOMPRAKT is launching in October in beige, black, and blue. We’ll have to wait for more information such as pricing.
Both speakers come with Bluetooth 5.3, multi-speaker compatibility and Spotify Tap.
Finally, IKEA also announced a design collaboration with Swedish designer Tekla Severin, commonly known as “Teklan”. IKEA says the partnership will combine technology with personal style to help electronics feel more like part of the home. This partnership starts with a refreshed VAPPEBY portable, waterproof, Bluetooth speaker, now available in new colors.
According to a statement made to The Verge, up to ten more speakers are expected to come in January, all costing under €100 (approx. $117 USD). We look forward to seeing more information and musical products from IKEA soon, and will be sure to share this as we receive it.
