complaint about the End of Software Updates

Sonos have made it clear that they will only support their products for 5 years after they stop selling them.  BIG MISTAKE.  This could be akin to the Ratner Jewelry debarkle and will be studied in business schools for many years to come as how destroy a loyal customer base with one simple email….

I also will be refraining from purchasing any new Sonos products.  How long before my (multiple) PLAY:1s and Sub are flagged as “legacy” products?

@Ryan S ”Play:1 was only just recently no longer sold.” - in light of what just happened, you are in effect saying that I can expect my Play 1 to be bricked in five years. Your products have gone from investment pieces to perishable goods. You cannot charge the same price for that. 

Just want to add my voice to the righteous anger already on display. I invested a lot of money in my “legacy” system thinking it was a quality investment. I am keenly watching what happens next and waiting to see if the Sonos brand becomes toxic.

Hi Fobskid, I started this discussion without knowing how to use the site but it would seem there’s a ‘main’ discussion for this topic with 85000+ hits at: https://en.community.sonos.com/announcements-228985/end-of-software-support-clarifications-6835969

It won’t make you feel any better but you’ll see you’re in good company! ...anyhow well said - I share your pain...

The Brand is dead. Worst strategic mistake made by a growth tech. Every new purchase will now be BOSE. I can integrate through alexa. Just sadly am not able to pair brands. The CEO needs to do considerably more and i can only assume he and the board are just STUPID to not think this will affect loyalty and SALES. Anyone thinking of buying a new Sonos will be thinking ‘wait my product is redundant in 5 years and not future proof’

One can only hope that the cash hungry board, through their lack of care for loyal customers will be hit hard where it hurts in their dividends and share price. Because this is the only way these types will learn.

Sonos Board have you not heard of ‘competition, consulting customers, consumer choice’ ? wake up and smell the smart speaker market!

Advancements in streaming technology as it pertains to Sonos technology are incremental, and certainly will not make a device obsolete in 5 to 10 years.  I can see right through what sonos is trying to do: sell more product to its loyal users.  Except what I read is that many, including myself, have lost confidence in Sonos.  In 2019 it was losing support to play the tens of thousands of songs I own on my apple phone.  Now in 2020 it’s anything older than 5 years.  Hear me now SONOS:  I currently own a soundbar, a Play1, 6 Connects, 2 Connect Amps, and I was planning a whole new wave of additional purchases.  But I’m not buying one more piece of Sonos equipment.  Ever.  How can I if I can’t trust you at all? 

Everyone who reads this go check out Bluesound.  New, young, fresh company… Looks great on paper. Does everything Sonos does and much more.  Plays the music I own, from my phone. Might be time to sell off my stuff and upgrade to a different company.

AP

Another bit of misinformation.  Sonos has to support every device for 5 years after it stops being manufactured.  That is the minimum.  The legacy devices all have 32 MB RAM, and they made that 32 MB RAM last for 15 years.  Currently sold devices have 16 (non-voice) to 32 (voice enabled) times that amount, so support beyond the mandatory 5 years is well accounted for in the capability of the devices.  Not saying they are completely future proof, but with 16 to 32 times the RAM/storage as the original devices, it stands to reason that more than 5 years of use was spec’d into the devices. 

Sonos obviously created a public relations nightmare, but am I alone in believing this is much this topic is has been completely over blown both on this forum and with the press? I read an article where the author in attacking Sonos decision wrote, “Can you image if Apple stopped supporting early IPhones?” Hello! Apple stops supporting nearly all of their products after 7 years. Technologies change so fast, I don’t see where Sonos or other manufacturers have a choice in the matter. 

Suggesting a lawsuit because someone believes they were conned is a little over the top!

The problem here is with Sonos’ messaging.  Instead of saying “your stuff is going obsolete, so buy our new”, which sounds threatening and “haha, we got ya”, Sonos should have said something about what they are going to be doing.  Examples: “Welcome to Sonos 2020”.  “These are the great new features”.  “This will work on our newer hardware, which includes….”  

That is what every other tech company does.

Instead, they talked of unknown future improvements, so there is no basis for understanding what is going on, and all that came out was negative.

I don’t doubt that this was done for good B-School reasons like avoiding the Osborne Effect, where announcements of future products tank current sales, but the answer for that is announcing close to market release and including a return window for recent purchases - which sounds generous and builds customer goodwill - rather than insulting your existing customers’ purchases.

Funny, Bluesound can’t play from your phone either. And unlike Sonos they dropped it without even taking a year to try to fix it.  Like to reconsider your choice? 

Come may, you’re existing system will continue to operate as it currently does minus regular updates.  If the system requires security updates or bug fixes, Sonos will provide that within the limits of the hardware.  So you do not have to replace your system.

You may already be aware of the above, but as there is a lot of misinformation and confusion going around, I’m repeating it here.