IKEA/Sonos SYMFONISK speakers will work with a remote control

IKEA has given us more details on its SYMFONISK range of speakers, made in collaboration with multi-room specialist Sonos.

There will be two ways of controlling the speakers: using the SYMFONISK sound remote, or IKEA's existing TRÅDFRI app (though, confusingly, there's also a physical TRÅDFRI remote for controlling IKEA's smart lights).

The SYMFONISK sound remote lets you play/pause, change track and alter the volume. It's the smaller of the two disc-shaped devices in the picture above. 

To use it, you'll need to connect it to the TRÅDFRI gateway (the larger disc in the picture above), which acts as the hub of the smart home. You then pair the SYMFONISK sound remote to the TRÅDFRI gateway using the TRÅDFRI app.

The SYMFONISK sound remote works with all Sonos speakers, not just those in the collaboration with IKEA. It controls one speaker at a time unless that speaker is grouped with others, in which case it controls the whole group.

Rather use your phone? Fire up the TRÅDFRI app. This lets you define preset lighting moods, set your lights on timers and connect them to other smart home devices, such as your IKEA smart blinds, so they work in tandem.

As well as the lampshade speaker pictured here, the SYMFONISK range includes a standard bookshelf speaker that doesn't have a built-in light.

The SYMFONISK table lamp with wi-fi speaker will cost £150 (€179/$179), while the SYMFONISK bookshelf with wi-fi speaker is £99 (€99.95/$99). Both will ship in August.

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