Sonos is already a big name in audio hardware, known for its popular soundbars and a whole range of wireless speaker options. But for all it offers now, what's next? We're finally starting to get a sense of what to expect, thanks to what the company shared in the Sonos quarterly earnings call earlier this month — even as many details are still quite vague.

Rumors of new directions for Sonos hardware have been circulating for a few months now, and as reported by The Verge, the company now plans on entering four new product categories, the first arriving next year. In its earnings call, Sonos CEO Patrick Spence explained, "we will enter new naturally adjacent product categories, as you have seen us do with portables." That move was already the natural next step for Sonos after its wireless speakers, resulting in some fantastic products like the Sonos Move. However, it's less clear what these "naturally adjacent" product categories could be.

Premium wireless headphones

Patent filings and startup purchases sure seem to indicate that Sonos is developing wireless headphones. The first mentions of Sonos headphones surfaced in 2019, and little has emerged since, beyond a patent for a refined design. We would imagine them to be a premium product, able to compete with the best wireless headphones, but it isn't easy to anticipate what could make them really distinct from the likes of offerings from Bose, Sony, and Sennheiser.

Sonos's revised patent (left); the initial patent illustration (right)

However, for those brand-loyal customers, the Sonos brand might be enough. Regardless of its potential success, this one is easily the most likely new product from Sonos — at least, the one we feel most confident in.

Home streaming devices to compete with Chromecast

The legal battles between Sonos and Google started years ago and are still ongoing. Rather than licensing patents from one another, the companies continue to slug it out at customers' expense (remember group volume control in the Google Home app?). But despite Google's users suffering as a result, it's perhaps Sonos that faces the more significant threat of import bans if Google wins its legal complaints. Neither company seems willing to work amicably with the other, so we may see Sonos develop more products that compete directly with Google's own.

The Google Chromecast would be tough to challenge, and that's not considering all the other options.

Sonos has comfortably sat atop its audio streaming perch for some time now, but there are plenty of other areas where the company could extend its technology. Part of the appeal of Sonos products is their reliability, and the ability for so many to work together in harmony. Therefore, it wouldn't be ridiculous to see a mixed-media streaming device coming from Sonos in the near future. Earlier this year, Protocol reported that Sonos was hiring for a "Home Theater OS" project, indicating a home streaming device may also be in the works.

There's already heavy competition among the best streaming devices, so Sonos may struggle with developing a successful product. But if it combines a streaming video solution with a soundbar, that might offer consumers two appealing products in one convenient package.

Expanded range of hi-fi components

Last year, Sonos branched out from its streaming speakers with the Sonos Amp, a powerful yet nondescript amp that slots neatly into a hi-fi stack. With that, the company is just one piece short of offering a complete bundled sound system alongside its speakers. This may seem a little counterintuitive, considering that Sonos products are pitched to circumvent the need for a complex hi-fi setup. Still, maybe it wouldn't be the craziest thing to see a Sonos-branded turntable hitting the market.

Speakers that could fit in your pocket

Sonos offers sensible audio products for sensible people. When we imagine future Sonos products, we think of sleek, monochrome boxes that sit comfortably in our homes, blending seamlessly into the background aesthetic. Unless you invite a crowd of audiophiles over for dinner, it's unlikely you'll have people crowding around your new Sonos device in awe. So while the above suggestions are sensible, they're also boring. What about if Sonos revitalized something long dead? What about if Sonos created... Sonos Mods?

Rugged phones tend to be niche products that don't fit most people's use cases, including mine. However, the massive speakers on the UleFone Power Armor 16 Pro and the AGM Glory Pro immediately caught my eye. Remember the failure of Moto Mods, with the concept of extending your phone's functionality by snapping on extra hardware components? Unfortunately, the Moto Z phones suffered from poor hardware, crippling design choices, and overpriced and clunky Mods. But that said, it's fun to theorize about what would happen if other companies picked up the idea again.

The JBL SoundBoost Mod retailed for $80 and was a cheap, if uninspiring product.

Sure, an attachable speaker would likely have worse audio quality than an equivalently priced Bluetooth speaker. Yes, it would be inconvenient and clunky. And yes, the compatibility issues would be a nightmare. But can you imagine the looks you'd get, sticking a massive speaker on the back of your phone? Worth it.

The future for Sonos sounds good, but it's a rough road ahead

Despite my wishes for Sonos to go genuinely nuts, future offerings will likely be high-quality and sensible audio products in areas with high competition. And honestly, it still might be very interesting to see what Sonos can create in its existing product areas — competition is stiff and without innovation the company's core products may struggle. Whatever Sonos does end up creating next, we'll be excited to go hands-on and share it all with you.