Teenage Engineering, the Swedish firm renowned for its distinctive synthesizers and audio hardware, is discontinuing its product manufacturing line. In a revelation shared with High Snobiety, CEO Jesper Kouthoofd confirmed that the company will cease making synthesizers as part of a strategic reorganization initiated last fall.
The decision extends to the OP-1, the portable synthesizer launched in 2011 that originally propelled the brand into prominence. When Kouthoofd first presented the plan to his team, reactions ranged from shock to confusion. “Everyone was like, ‘What are you talking about?'” Kouthoofd recalled. “But I’ve come to the conclusion that, for us, the products aren’t the business. We can be so much more than that.”
With the majority of Teenage Engineering’s portfolio consisting of music and audio devices, halting production signals a potential exit from physical manufacturing entirely. While Kouthoofd did not provide an exhaustive roadmap, he indicated a shift toward design work, citing a legacy that includes hardware for the Playdate console, the Rabbit R1, and collaborations with Nothing, Mayku, Impossible Camera, and IKEA.
The announcement has sparked concern among the company’s user base. Some Reddit users expressed alarm over the lack of clarity regarding the timeline for the transition. Furthermore, Kouthoofd noted that future endeavors may take considerable time to develop; he referenced one significant project rumored to alter online experiences, stating that certain upcoming releases could be delayed by five to ten years.
I honestly didn’t know they did hardware for IKEA until now. Glad the brand evolves, even if it hurts.
Makes sense though. They already design for Rabbit and IKEA. This feels like scaling up to pure industrial design.
Wait, five to ten years? That is a staggering timeline. Do we really have to wait a decade for something new?
Heartbreaking news. The OP-1 is my soulmate. I hope they still support updates for existing hardware.