Bose Frames (Alto / Soprano / Tenor / Rondo / Tempo)

Bose Frames named five models across two generations: Alto and Rondo, launched January 2019 at US$199 with one microphone and a 3.5-hour battery Bose declared, and the 2020 trio Tempo, Tenor and Soprano at US$249 each, adding a second microphone and, on Tempo alone, IPX4 resistance.

The line briefly opened to developers. Bose launched Frames as the hardware for Bose AR, an SDK backed by a US$50 million fund announced at SXSW 2019. TechCrunch and GearBrain said Bose wound the SDK down around April 2020 and shut the platform later that year, after its leads left. No sideload path for the firmware ever existed outside that SDK.

Three reviews, one per generation, liked the concept. Pocket-lint rated the Rondo 4 of 5 for its audio and useful button, but measured 2.5 hours of battery against Bose's 3.5-hour claim. Reviews.org liked hearing music and surroundings on the Tenor, without the earwax of in-ear buds. SoundGuys measured the Tempo's battery past 10 hours, beating Bose's 8-hour figure, and liked its IPX4 rating and swappable lenses, but all three agreed the bass fades at volume, and its mic struggled outdoors.

Bose confirmed in December 2023 that it was discontinuing Frames entirely; no model remains for sale new in the US, China or Brazil today. Anyone drawn to the Bose AR pitch, or wanting developer tools, should look elsewhere: both platform and hardware are gone.