Sonos, a well-known audio technology company, explored the idea of creating a MagSafe speaker for iPhones, but ultimately decided to scrap the project. According to reports, engineers at Sonos prototyped a miniature speaker that could magnetically connect to the back of Apple's recent iPhones, similar to JBL's Soundboost speaker for Motorola's Moto Z lineup.

The idea was to create a compact speaker that could deliver surprisingly good sound quality, leveraging the innovative transducer technology that Sonos acquired through its purchase of Mayht Holding in 2022. The prototypes were designed to be rectangular in shape and size, similar to Apple's discontinued MagSafe battery, but thicker. However, the project was eventually abandoned due to technical limitations and a questionable target market.

One of the main challenges was that MagSafe does not offer audio passthrough capabilities, which meant that the speaker would have to rely on a Bluetooth connection. This would have required a significant amount of power, which could have resulted in a battery drain. Additionally, the target market for such a product was unclear, leading Sonos to question the viability of the project.

Despite the failure of this project, Sonos has continued to innovate in the audio technology space. The company's acquisition of Mayht Holding led to the development of its "SoundMotion" technology, which was recently showcased in the impressive Arc Ultra soundbar. This technology has significantly improved bass quality, and Sonos is likely to find other innovative ways to integrate it into future products.

The news comes at a time when Sonos is undergoing significant changes. The company recently laid off 200 employees, around 12% of its workforce, as part of an effort to reshape itself into flatter, smaller, and more focused teams. Interim CEO Tom Conrad has stated that the company needs to overcome the damage done by its premature release of an overhauled mobile app last year, and that improving the core experience is critical to fueling the Sonos flywheel.

As Sonos continues to navigate its challenges, it remains to be seen what other innovative products the company will bring to market. However, one thing is clear: the company is committed to delivering high-quality audio experiences to its customers, and is willing to take risks to achieve that goal.