Sonos is ditching ‘Pinewood,’ the $400 Android TV streaming box no one asked for

Audio maker Sonos has had a pretty rough 2024. Amid a rushed and disastrous app launch that led to huge financial losses, reputational damage, and the departure of CEO Patrick Spence, news came in that the company was planning to launch an Android TV streaming box — one that would cost as much as $400! Of course, the idea of such an expensive Android TV streamer sounds absurd when you can get the Google TV Streamer for $100. Looks like Sonos has come to the same realization.

The Verge reports that Sonos has canceled its plans to develop a high-end streaming box, codenamed Pinewood. Originally expected to be the company’s flagship hardware launch for 2025, the device will no longer hit the market.

According to the report, Sonos announced the cancelation during an all-hands call on March 12. Pinewood was already deep in development, with beta testing reportedly running for months. Scrapping a project at this stage is no small decision and likely cost the company a pretty penny.

Internally, employees were reportedly concerned that Pinewood might face the same challenges as the Sonos Ace headphones — entering a competitive market dominated by well-established players. For now, Sonos will focus on improving its software experience and restoring the company’s lost glory.