Bose SoundTouch end of life treatment: Difference between revisions
Added page categories for discoverability |
Bythmusters (talk | contribs) I did some work, but the whole article still needs to be refactored in response to recent news, ideally while preserving the initial grievances. Marked the incident as resolved and updated descriptions in cargo. |
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{{IncidentCargo | {{IncidentCargo | ||
|Company=Bose | |Company=Bose | ||
|StartDate=2025-10-09 | |StartDate=2025-10-09 | ||
|EndDate= | |EndDate=2026-01-07 | ||
|Status= | |Status=Resolved | ||
|ProductLine=Bose SoundTouch | |ProductLine=Bose SoundTouch | ||
|Product=Bose SoundTouch | |Product=Bose SoundTouch | ||
|ArticleType=Incident | |ArticleType=Incident | ||
|Type=Cloud | |Type=Cloud Lockout, Service Termination, Planned Obsolesence, Abandonware | ||
|Description=Bose ends cloud support for SoundTouch products, removing | |Description=Bose ends cloud support for SoundTouch products, removing functionality. Later releases patch and releases software source code | ||
}} | }} | ||
In October 2025, [[Bose|Bose Corporation]] announced that it would end cloud support for its entire SoundTouch product line on February 18, 2026. The decision sparked widespread consumer backlash as owners of the smart multiroom audio systems, sold between 2013 and 2020, would lose streaming services, app control, and multiroom functionality that formed the products' core value proposition. | In October 2025, [[Bose|Bose Corporation]] announced that it would end cloud support for its entire SoundTouch product line on February 18, 2026. The decision sparked widespread consumer backlash, as owners of the smart multiroom audio systems, sold between 2013 and 2020, would lose access to streaming services, app control, and multiroom functionality that formed the products' core value proposition. | ||
On January 7, 2026, Bose emailed their customers with a revised end-of-life plan, including three more months of cloud support, one final app update to allow some continued functionality without cloud support, and publicly available API documentation. | |||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
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*Security updates and firmware patches | *Security updates and firmware patches | ||
Bluetooth, AUX, and HDMI inputs are expected to continue functioning, though Bose stated it "cannot guarantee long-term performance. | Bluetooth, AUX, and HDMI inputs are expected to continue functioning, though Bose stated it "cannot guarantee long-term performance".<ref name="register">{{cite web |author=Speed |first=Richard |date=13 October 2025 |title=Bose kills SoundTouch: Smart speakers go dumb in Feb |url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/13/bose_reminds_users_that_nothing/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/BQVdO |archive-date=26 Oct 2025 |access-date=16 October 2025 |website=The Register |publisher=The Register}}</ref> The status of AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect were initially unconfirmed by Bose, but they later announced that these features would continue to function following the end-of-life date.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harding |first=Scharon |date=2026-01-07 |title=Bose open-sources its SoundTouch home theater smart speakers ahead of end-of-life |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/01/bose-open-sources-its-soundtouch-home-theater-smart-speakers-ahead-of-eol/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-01-07 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref> | ||
==Bose's response== | ==Bose's response== | ||
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The company stated it remains "committed to creating new listening experiences for our customers built on modern technologies" but confirmed it will not integrate SoundTouch products into the Bose Music app or provide any replacement platform. | The company stated it remains "committed to creating new listening experiences for our customers built on modern technologies" but confirmed it will not integrate SoundTouch products into the Bose Music app or provide any replacement platform. | ||
=== '''January Update''' === | |||
On January 7, 2026, Bose emailed their customers with a revised plan for the end of SoundTouch cloud service:<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-01-07 |title=Bose SoundTouch support discontinued |url=https://www.bose.com/soundtouch-end-of-life |url-status=live |access-date=2026-01-07 |website=Bose}}</ref> | |||
* The end of service date has been extended from February 18 to May 6 | |||
* The SoundTouch app will be updated on May 6 to allow the functions that did not rely on the cloud | |||
* Spotify Connect will continue to work after May 6 | |||
* The SoundTouch API documentation is now publicly available | |||
==Consumer response== | ==Consumer response== | ||