Logitech officially discontinues its Harmony remotes - The Verge

Logitech said Friday it is discontinuing its line of Harmony universal remotes, ending years of speculation that the devices were on their way out. Models that are currently in stock at retailers will be available while supplies last, and the company says it will continue to provide support and service for the Harmony remote “as long as customers are using it.”

“While Harmony remotes are and continue to be available through various retailers, moving forward Logitech will no longer manufacture Harmony remotes,” according to a blog post on Logitech’s support page. “We expect no impact to our customers by this announcement. We plan to support our Harmony community and new Harmony customers, which includes access to our software and apps to set up and manage your remotes. We also plan to continue to update the platform and add devices to our Harmony database. Customer and warranty support will continue to be offered.”

Logitech acquired Intrigue Technologies, the original maker of the Harmony remote, back in 2004. Harmony universal remotes were popular among consumers seeking one remote to rule them all— cable box, gaming console, and streaming devices. Some newer models were even able to be used with smart home devices.

Logitech’s business has boomed during the coronavirus pandemic as people worked and schooled at home; in January, the company reported its third-quarter sales were up 85 percent year over year to $1.67 billion, enough that it could splurge on its first-ever Super Bowl commercial.

But with the rise of streaming services over the past few years, universal remotes are no longer as crucial as they once were. Logitech CEO Bracken Darrell told The Verge in 2019 that Harmony was a small business for the company; he said the remote business was only about 6 percent of the size of Logitech’s massive keyboard business, for instance.

“I think over time, you’ll have fewer and fewer people who feel like they really need that universal remote,” Darrell said at the time. He added that the company appreciated hardcore Harmony users who love the device: “it’s so rare to have users that love something as much as a lot of our Harmony users do. We’ll always take care of them because we really believe that that’s part of the responsibility of the brand,” Darrell told The Verge. “So we do love Harmony for that reason. How long it will be out there, I don’t know.”

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