All companies should do this.
Bose SoundTouch 20 smart speaker.
Bose SoundTouch devices will soon reach their end of life.
Once that happens, the devices will no longer be updated.
There are options that could keep your device functioning.
Bose SoundTouch was first launched in 2013, with prices ranging from $399-$1,500. During the initial launch, it was announced that support for the devices would last for 13 years.
That time has come.
Bose SoundTouch announced in October 2025 (via an email) that all SoundTouch speakers would become «dumb» speakers on Feb. 18, 2026. Once that date hits, the speakers will stop receiving updates (including those for security), and the only way they will work will be via HDMI, Aux, or Bluetooth connections.
That didn’t sit well with long-term customers, as was on display in this Reddit thread in r/audio.
Of course, this has become common with consumer technology, where companies only support devices for a set period of time, and once that period is over, the device either no longer works or does so with reduced functionality.
There’s a solution for that, and Bose decided it was the right way to go: Open source.
The company has made the SoundTouch API open-source. This gives developers the opportunity to create their own tools and applications and even add new features. There are three caveats to this:
How long will it take for an open-source developer (or team of developers) to pick it up and run with it?
Bose open-sourced the API by way of the PDF linked above.
