Bose has reshaped its approach to the end‑of‑life for its SoundTouch speakers, a move that could set a new standard for the smart‑home industry. In October 2025, the company announced that cloud support for all SoundTouch models would end on Feb. 18, 2026, stripping away Spotify, TuneIn, and multi‑room features. Fans on Reddit erupted, calling the speakers “dumb” after the shutdown.

Responding to the backlash, Bose extended the cut‑off to May 6, 2026, kept the app for local control, and open‑sourced the SoundTouch API. The change lets users host their own servers, integrate with Home Assistant, and potentially restore lost functions through community projects. This contrasts sharply with Google’s 2024 decision to drop support for first‑ and second‑generation Nest Learning Thermostats, which left owners with only basic hardware and a modest discount on newer models.

By offering a local‑only path and open‑source code, Bose demonstrates a customer‑first mindset that other giants—Amazon, Google, Samsung—might emulate when phasing out legacy products.