Is there an announced deadline when the trade up offer expires? It seems to me that there should not be any, so that if I were to choose an upgrade anytime in future that were to render my Connect unusable, and I wanted to get a replacement Port, it should be available to me with a 30% discount.

That would reduce the furore now, I imagine, as well as make the upgrade in future more palatable to everyone. And someone that opts for the trade up just now would do so only to get the additional features on the Port, and not out of any perceived need to mitigate the risk of obsolescence.

The “trade-up a device” program end date hasn’t been mentioned that I have seen.

Once traded in the discount is permanent, only expires when used.

I have one sitting in the pool, waiting for something I can’t resist.

Except the price of the Port goes up $50 one week from today (in the US) which offsets much of the advantage of the discount. If you really want to get a Port using the maximum advantage of the discount you only have a few days to go through the recycle process to get your discount voucher and then place your order. 

So long as there still is a significant discount available on whatever is the existing price of a new Port in the future, this still won’t generate a lot of waste. 

What would help make this a good scheme is for Sonos to declare prominently that it will remain a Sonos policy from here on out: Put up an approved/registered model for recycling at any time in the future and the new unit will be discounted by 30%. That should allow for software upgrades that render units obsolete to be not as unpopular as they are now, and also not have people rush to recycle simply in anticipation of this happening.

Why there need at all to be such upgrades that get units wasted before the hardware fails is a different question altogether, I suppose, and one that I would still ask for what is merely a home audio system. It is the largely meaningless upgrades that are making for more electronic waste, not the trade up scheme that is being misidentified as such. But Sonos is a very small part of an environment that is geared to this way of living in every domain, with fashion in personal wear leading the bandwagon, so it isn't easy to see how Sonos can buck this trend all by itself.

I don’t - but I find the concept of selling new kit to people that in a few months time you’re going to be saying simply isn’t up to scratch - to the degree that you’re offering trade-in terms - to be a bit bizarre...

All systems that are connected to the internet need updates. If not to add functions, then for safety concerns.

Say I have a Connect Amp, used to play just CDs ripped to a NAS. Both connected to the internet connected router. What could happen, other than the Connect Amp stopping playing as a worst case, if updates were turned off? 

Or for that matter, even where the Connect Amp is used to play Apple Music. 

Could someone raid my bank account  to which I have internet access and empty it once updates are off? If so, how?

@Kumar If what you say is true, why are so many people concerned about Sonos not upgrading to SMB v2?

I have asked questions; I have not said what the answers are, let alone saying they are true or false.

I have not delved into the SMB question for the same reasons; it does not bother me. Perhaps the answers to my questions, once validated, will get me worried, but I tend to doubt that, based on common sense. 

Further to the above, my computers are Mac, phones are Androids. If that is relevant to the questions.

But that is not what you said.  You stated “we’re still talking about bricking Connects that may have been bought a few months ago”, as if they were actually Connects being bricked a few months after a sale. 

Nothing but melodrama and FUD (as usual).  

Speaking as a security professional: the problem is SMBv1 is that it has known vulnerabilities that will not be fixed.  If you wish to use the advertised capability of playing from a network share, you have to either use only network shares on Windows or Macs, using the Sonos App’s http sharing, or leave your SMB share server using the vulnerable SMBv1, whether it’s a Windows, Mac, or Linux computer or a NAS device.  This doesn’t present a danger to your Sonos devices, but to those sharing systems should another machine in your network become infected with malware that attacks SMBv1.  This is the problem that concerns people.  

From my understanding, Sonos intends to keep the program going indefinitely, but obviously, they cannot promise that the program will continue for as long as Sonos remains in business.  If it proves to be bad for business in whatever way, I’m sure they will put an end to it as a reasonable time.  As far as people rushing to recycle, your assuming that people are actually doing that.  It’s possible, but as far as know, Sonos hasn’t released any numbers on that.  There are those on here that think it’s a sign that older programs will be de-supportted, but it’s just speculation that the general Sonos customer thinks that way.  Regardless, there isn’t a reason to think that Sonos would end the old products without giving customers a chance to apply for the discount.

The smart thing for a customer to do would be to weigh in the personal value of the old products and whether or not it makes sense for them to get a new product.  This is what I’m doing and what everyone else who’s shared their plans is doing.  I’m not sure why the general Sonos customer would just panic and trade in their working units under some assumption that they have to.

One thing that bother’s me about the whole argument that the Sonos program trade up program is environmentally flawed is it places all ‘blame’ for recycling instead of reuse on Sonos and not on the individual person who chooses to participate in the program.   I get that Sonos is changing the dynamics of the decision to recycle or reuse with this program, but if reuse is important to the customer, they will make the choice to reuse instead of recycle despite incentives.  It’s ultimately still the customers values that matter, and the customers decisions to make.

@melvimbe thanks for your comments. I contacted Sonos support on Social media and they confirmed that a brand new Connect bought from them today would be eligible for recycling right away. They also said it won't be getting updates for much longer. They would not respond when asked why the website description is so inaccurate.

So thank you to everyone for stopping me from buying a POS. A Port would be logical but I would like optical. 

I wold take that bold statement with a grain of salt.  It’s vague, and contradicts what’s been said by staff here on these forums...that being that Sonos does not have plans to end updates to the Connect.

Regardless, I don’t think it makes much sense to spend $350 on a Connect, instead of $400 on a Port.

But after next week will it make sense to spend $450 on a Port instead of $350 on a connect? A lot of folks will have trouble finding $100 worth of extra value in the Port.

The Port is missing features that I would like. I think I would have been happy with the Connect. But since it will be bricked in a couple of years not so much...If Sonos was upfront about when updates will stop it would be an easier decision especially since buying used now is way more risky than it was before the Recycle program. 

There are other options and I'm very still happy with my Amp.

I actually was going to say that I’d consider the used market as an option when deciding between a $350 Connect that may go away in a couple years and $450 new product.  If I don’t want to spend $100 now (to me, the $50 difference makes me decided on a new Port), then perhaps I can get get a used Connect for $250 or $200 (that can turn in to 30% off later)  makes the most sense.  As far as depending on the used market, I wouldn’t buy from an unrelated market where you have no guarantees.  I haven’t looked at ebay policy in a while, but I believe they allow returns of products that are not functioning for a full refund, regardless of what the seller is willing to do.

This is all hypothetical to me though, as I don’t have a need for a Connect/Port right now.  I actually have 2 Connects that I’m not using.  Ultimately what I’m going to do is going to depend on need and how I intend to use it.  If I intend to display the device, then the Port is favored for it’s black color, but hidden device makes that irrelevant to me….for example.  Depends too on whether the 12V trigger is useful to me,whether I want airplay etc.

Nobody has even intimated the Connect “will be bricked in a couple of years” or “it won't be getting updates for much longer”, except for you, an anonymous forum poster claiming Sonos support said it.  That hearsay is contradicted by what actual Sonos support personnel have stated on this forum.

Sorry to have triggered you but you need to keep up. Sonos can feel free to correct their CS if this is wrong. If you look at my other post I quoted what support said which imo is a lot less alarmist than "much longer". But whatever they seem pretty silent on this which speaks for itself.

That bold part above regarding support is incorrect. I’ll make sure the team has the right information going out. 

A new Connect purchased today from our website will continue to get updates and support, though it will be eligible for trade up, since all Connects are. That said, for people making the choice between a Connect and a Port, they’re still deciding between the new technology and the old generation. On paper, the two have mostly the same functionality today, no optical on the Port, and it supports AirPlay 2 which the Connect doesn’t. However, Port has far better components in regards to networking, computing, and processing audio. It’s a brand new product that has been fully upgraded, which does make it more future proof than the older hardware of the Connect.

No offense but this is almost the same non response I received from your Twitter bot. And doesn't contradict what your CS said.

I want to buy a Connect but it is impossible to get accurate information. 

How long will I get updates for if I purchase a Connect today? 

A. 1 year

B. 2 years

C. 3 years

D. 4 years

E. 5 years

F. More than 5 years

Also a suggestion,  should change the last chance product page for connect as it says that it delivers incredible performance and sound. You are quoted in the Verge as saying that recycle eligible products are incapable of providing the modern Sonos experience. This seems contradictory and misleading.

I understand wanting a guaranty here, but it's just not something that can be promised right now. I’ll let you know if there’s any update to share in that regard. Currently, there aren't any Sonos players so far that have reached the end of support, and that includes 15+ year old Sonos players. Ultimately, capabilities and longevity are determined by hardware limits, so if you want something that you know won't have issues for a long time, the Port is what you're looking for. We can't promise a specific amount of years a new Connect will keep getting updates, but we do plan to continue to support all of these old devices for as long as we're able to.

Regarding the message on our “Last Chance” page, it says “Enjoy incredible sound and performance with earlier versioned speakers, soundbars, and components.” The sound and performance of the Connect is incredible, that hasn’t changed. The fact that the older devices can’t support the modern Sonos experience doesn’t change their sound or performance from being incredible. The modern experience is about new features, such as AirPlay 2, which older devices can’t support. But we don’t need to go down the rabbit hole of arguing semantics or marketing messages here. I’ll pass along your thoughts to the web team though so they can look it over.

Why?