2 hours ago
3
Bose SoundTouch 20 astute speaker.
Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source connected Google.
ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- Bose SoundTouch devices volition soon scope their extremity of life.
- Once that happens, the devices volition nary longer beryllium updated.
- There are options that could support your instrumentality functioning.
Bose SoundTouch was archetypal launched successful 2013, with prices ranging from $399-$1,500. During the archetypal launch, it was announced that enactment for the devices would past for 13 years.
That clip has come.
Bose SoundTouch announced successful October 2025 (via an email) that each SoundTouch speakers would go "dumb" speakers connected Feb. 18, 2026. Once that day hits, the speakers volition halt receiving updates (including those for security), and the lone mode they volition enactment volition beryllium via HDMI, Aux, oregon Bluetooth connections.
Also: Finally, I recovered a room-filling soundbar that makes a subwoofer unnecessary for me
That didn't beryllium good with semipermanent customers, arsenic was connected show successful this Reddit thread successful r/audio.
Of course, this has go communal with user technology, wherever companies lone enactment devices for a acceptable play of time, and erstwhile that play is over, the instrumentality either nary longer works oregon does truthful with reduced functionality.
There's a solution for that, and Bose decided it was the close mode to go: Open source.
The institution has made the SoundTouch API open-source. This gives developers the accidental to make their ain tools and applications and adjacent adhd caller features. There are 3 caveats to this:
- How agelong volition it instrumentality for an open-source developer (or squad of developers) to prime it up and tally with it?
- Bose open-sourced the API by mode of the PDF linked above. I person yet to find a repository that really houses the root code.
- There's a reasonably lengthy Terms of Use to beryllium work astatine the extremity of the document.
What tin you bash now?
Hopefully, we'll spot immoderate open-source SoundTouch apps look soon. Until then, what bash you bash with those SoundTouch speakers erstwhile they scope EOL?
First of all, arsenic mentioned by Bose successful the email to SoundTouch customers, you volition inactive beryllium capable to play euphony from services similar AirPlay and Spotify Connect, and devices that enactment AirPlay 2 volition besides proceed functioning.
Also: These 7 audio products astatine CES 2026 were truthful impressive, I had to perceive twice
As well, a stripped-down mentation of the SoundTouch app volition besides continue. That stripped down app volition inactive beryllium capable to:
- Set up and configuring your system
- Serve arsenic a distant for Play, Pause, Skip, and Volume.
- Group aggregate speakers together
For those who ain a streaming amp, similar the WiiM Amp Ultra, you tin link the talker to that instrumentality and proceed enjoying an enhanced acquisition (via improved audio codecs and much features).
If you don't ain specified an amp, your champion stake for present is to link your talker to immoderate Bluetooth-compatible instrumentality you have. For immoderate SoundTouch speakers, that means utilizing the app to enactment the instrumentality into pairing mode. For different SoundTouch speakers (such arsenic the Series III), there's a carnal Bluetooth fastener you tin usage to spot the instrumentality into pairing mode.
Of course, the different enactment would beryllium to power to a wholly antithetic merchandise line, specified arsenic those from Yamaha, Sonos, Apple, oregon Amazon. Even then, you ne'er cognize erstwhile a product's EOL volition arrive, and you find yourself successful the aforesaid situation.
Another connection of advice: find and support your SoundTouch remote. Even though the app volition enactment with basal functionality, the carnal distant volition beryllium bully to have, connected the off-chance Bose decides to termination the app completely. If you've mislaid your remote, see purchasing a caller 1 asap. If you hop implicit to Amazon, you'll find plentifulness of remotes for antithetic SoundTouch devices, specified arsenic this one for the SoundTouch CineMate 520, 220, 130, and 120.
Also: These 7 audio products astatine CES 2026 were truthful impressive, I had to perceive twice
Ultimately, however, the semipermanent solution volition beryllium connected idiosyncratic picking up the open-sourced SoundTouch API and creating thing that volition fulfill the consumers who've invested their wealth into the Bose system.
From my constituent of view, whenever a merchandise reaches the extremity of its beingness (which they each yet do), the institution producing the merchandise should open-source what it tin to forestall the merchandise from being discarded and ending up successful landfills. Sure, those companies mightiness not privation to manus implicit the concealed condiment that made their products truthful special, but if you measurement that against much and much tech waste, the prime seems obvious.
Here's hoping much companies prime up connected this and marque it a trend.
English (US) ·