Ikea and Sonos have announced their latest collaborative product in the Symfonisk line of high-tech furniture and décor pieces: the Symfonisk frame WiFi speaker combines both a portable speaker with artwork.
Following from the design of the Symfonisk lamp and bookshelf speaker, both introduced back in 2019, the Symfonisk picture frame WiFi speaker comes in black or white and with interchangeable front panels so you can display the artwork that most fits with your home décor. To clarify, it isn’t a digital photo frame that can display your own photos but rather a piece of artwork that comes in a variety of designs and disguises as a decorative piece on your wall.
“The space saving picture frame speaker is an innovative and adaptable solution merging technology into a beautiful form of wall art,” says Mathias Karlsson, Director of Home Smart at Ikea Canada. “With the arrival of the new picture frame speaker within the Ikea Home Smart product line, we’re enabling consumers to both inspire and enjoy a smarter everyday life at home.”
What sets it apart, however, is the built-in speaker that can provide music in disguise. Stjepan Begic, Ikea’s Product Developer, says it provides “room-filling sound from a place where you are not expecting it.”
It comes with a magnetic hook for hanging horizontally or vertically on the wall, though you can also place it on a tabletop, shelf, or even on the floor via the rubber feet. It’s easy to connect to your home’s Wi-Fi using the Sonos S2 app. Sound is also controlled via the app. The artwork options, designed by artist Jennifer Idrizi, were inspired by the study of visual sound vibrations. The pattern, describes Idea, fakes in and out from the centre to the corners to resemble a “meditative, abstract pattern.”
The picture frame speaker will be available for $249 and will arrive in all Ikea Canada stores and online starting July 15, 2021.