Sonos is planning a substantial software update that aims to make its music-playing section more browsable by combining content from Music streaming apps like Spotify and Apple Music right on the main page of its app.
The most substantial change is a new home screen and removing the bottom nav bar. Instead, there’s a now-playing widget at the bottom of the screen to make it more convenient to control audio playback and group speakers.
This app is expected to pave the way for Sonos to launch its wireless over-ear headphones. These have been rumoured for years, so perhaps this app is finally the last piece of the puzzle needed before their release.
This version of the app is also launching alongside a web app, which should make it easier to access your speakers from a computer without needing to download an actual app.
A report from The Verge claims that the app also offers improved setup and strengthened connectivity between speakers. However, those upgrades are not mentioned in the press release Sonos provided to MobileSyrup.
I’m personally hoping that The Verge has access to insider information since I’ve found my Sonos app and speaker pretty buggy lately, and I’ve had to re-add my speakers to the app since they keep disappearing.
Overall, the app upgrade looks great, and hopefully, it functions much faster than the current Sonos S2 app. This is the main thing it needs to improve if Sonos wants people to use it as a streaming service. Until then, I expect people will keep using Spotify Connect and AirPlay since those services load quickly and work well.
We’ll cover the app in more depth once we can go hands-on with it after launches on May 7th.
Image credit: Sonos
