Update, July 24: The current Wiim Ultra won’t be getting AirPlay.
It pays to read the fine print. I know this, and yet sometimes in my rush to tell readers about the latest gadget, I neglect to check my assumptions. Such was the case with the new $329 Wiim Ultra — the latest network music streamer in Wiim’s rapidly expanding collection of wireless hi-fi gear. I assumed — as did a number of my colleagues — that the Ultra (which will start shipping soon) is compatible with Apple’s AirPlay 2 wireless streaming protocol. Why? Because all of the company’s previous streamers, like the Wiim Mini, Wiim Pro, Wiim Pro Plus, and Wiim Amp work with AirPlay.
In fact, I’d still think this was the case if Wiim hadn’t sent me the Ultra reviewers guide today in preparation for my full review (coming shortly!). As I ran through the huge list of supported features, I suddenly realized that neither Apple AirPlay nor Apple HomeKit were mentioned.
Fearing I’d had a brain aneurism, I checked the original press release I had been sent for the Ultra’s official May 9 launch. No mention of AirPlay there either. Ruh-roh. Was I the only one who missed this seemingly massive omission? Nope. As I said, plenty of other sites made the same assumption.
So now I’m baffled. Why would Wiim ditch a major wireless music feature for its newest flagship streamer? I finally found the answer in a blog post on the official wiimhome.com website. The post was originally published May 9 — the same day as the launch — but it was updated July 1. Way down in the Highlights section, you’ll now find this key message:
“Please note: Airplay certification is still pending, and while we don’t have a definitive timeline, we chose not to delay the launch of the WiiM Ultra. If you primarily use Airplay to stream music, we recommend waiting until it’s certified or looking at other WiiM products. — Wiim”
Mystery solved. The Wiim Ultra didn’t ditch AirPlay, but it’s not going to be available to the first group of Ultra buyers and we don’t know when the device will receive the necessary software update to enable it.
Frankly, I’m less concerned with the Ultra’s Airplay-certification-pending status than I am with the fact that Wiim didn’t communicate this situation clearly from the outset. I’m also very curious why Buy at Amazon bears this very disconcerting statement at the end of the features list: “NOTE: This device is incompatible with AirPlay and cannot function as an AirPlay receiver.” That’s going to freak some folks out unnecessarily.
I’ve reached out to my Wiim contacts for more information on the AirPlay situation, and will update this post as soon as I hear back.
