Belkin readying launch of an AirPlay 2 and HomeKit-enabled audio adapter

By Joe Wituschek
last updated

Belkin Soundform Connect Fcc Filing
Belkin Soundform Connect Fcc Filing (Image credit: 9to5Mac)

What you need to know

  • Belkin is readying the launch of the "Belkin Soundform Connect."
  • The audio adapter will bring AirPlay 2 to any compatible speaker.
  • It will reportedly retail for around $120.

It looks like Belkin is bringing back one of the best features of Apple's discontinued AirPort Express. According to FCC Filings, the company is planning to offer the "Belkin Soundform Connect," an adapter that will allow users to stream audio from their Apple devices to any speaker with AirPlay 2.

As reported by 9to5Mac, Janko Roettgers, a senior reporter for Protocol, spotted the FCC filing and believes that the accessory will sell for around $100 Euros, which equates to about $120 U.S. dollars.

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The adapter will reportedly be powered by USB-C and will feature both a 3.5mm audio jack as well as an Optical Digital Audio connection. Additionally, the accessory will support HomeKit, allowing users to assign their newly AirPlay-enabled speakers to different rooms in their home.

Based on FCC filings, the small adapter called "Belkin Soundform Connect" will be powered via a USB-C cable and will support audio output via a 3.5mm mini-jack port as well as Optical Digital Audio. Once you connect an audio device to the adapter, the iPhone, iPad, or any other Apple device will detect it as an AirPlay 2 speaker.

AirPlay 2 rolled out with iOS 11 back in 2017. The update to the standard allowed users to stream audio to multiple AirPlay-enabled devices at the same time, bringing Apple's own audio streaming experience up to par with services like Sonos.

AirPlay 2 iOS 11

AirPlay 2 iOS 11 (Image credit: Apple)

Send audio to multiple AirPlay speakers at once, from anywhere in iOS. This lets you assemble a multiroom audio system from any compatible speakers, and control it from iOS's AirPlay controls or inside third-party apps.

While an AirPlay-enabled adapter coming back is a great thing that will bring the audio experience to more customers, there are also a lot more speakers, receivers, and soundbars that have AirPlay built-in.

Joe Wituschek
Joe Wituschek
Contributor

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.