I've been a SONOS user for any years and have 10 zones, including a subwoofer and L/R pairs. Like others, I was a bit underwhelmed by the new functionality included in update 6.4. It certainly wasn't worth the price I've been forced to pay.
I have three 4th generation iPods that I bought as dedicated SONOS controllers. They are running ios 6.1.6, which is the latest version available. I'm pretty peeved that these controllers no longer work as SONOS controllers once I updated my system to 6.4.
SONOS should design their updates so that they don't shaft their existing users. I can understand that code will inevitably grow beyond the capability of older devices. But, I would be perfectly happy to have controller features frozen for older devices. I'd be content if I wasn't able to access all of the management functions from an older controller. But to have several perfectly good devices suddenly become totally unusable is an outrage.
There are two versions of the SONOS App available in the App Store. The current one requires ios 7, but even the older one doesn't work anymore.
I trust that SONOS will fix this and restore the lost functionality.
I notice that there are few 3rd party paid controller Apps available. SonoPhone is the only one I found that will work with ios 6.1. Are there any others? Do any users out there have any experience with this App? Will it even work with with SONOS 6.4?
SONOS V6.4 update kills all iPod 4th generation controllers
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Userlevel 1
Ok Means just because I'm 60 years old old age I should die .!!! Interesting.
Its ok Thanks for taking the time and replying. Have a great weekend
Sorry, but your expectations of how long Vendor A needs to support Vendor B's products is really unrealistic. We are talking about a 6 year old device which has not been supported by the manufacturer itself for 4 years. 4 years!
Userlevel 1
With all your respect. We " The customers" do not have to deal with it. We "THE CUSTUMERS" have the $$$$ to spend and buy your products.
The system was working fine till a recently SONOS update and we had no choice not to do it. Take it all leave it. Ja ja buy a new ipod.
You The" BIG" guys SONOS and APPLE has to deal with it and not us. When I went to the store to buy SONOS big $$$ no one says " be aware Apple and SONOS have issues. You may have to buy a new device every time SONOS software update. Please give me a break.!!! If I knew I wont buy SONOS.Even Sonos website is misleading after the facts.
We should be able to keep the SONOS old version
The system was working fine till a recently SONOS update and we had no choice not to do it. Take it all leave it. Ja ja buy a new ipod.
You The" BIG" guys SONOS and APPLE has to deal with it and not us. When I went to the store to buy SONOS big $$$ no one says " be aware Apple and SONOS have issues. You may have to buy a new device every time SONOS software update. Please give me a break.!!! If I knew I wont buy SONOS.Even Sonos website is misleading after the facts.
We should be able to keep the SONOS old version
DO I really need to buy a new IPOD? really ? That is the only solution? any reply would be great?
Read the thread, for crying out loud! Apple is to blame here, not Sonos! Free yourself from Apple's planned obsolescence model by moving to Android devices, or continue to buy new Apple devices every 3-4 years. The rational choice should be obvious...
These complaints make absolutely no sense. The iPod Touch 4th generation was launched September 2010 and only supports up to iOS6. Apple's current version is iOS10. I don't care when it was last sold, which I believe was 2013, 3 years ago, it only supports an operating system that is 4 releases old.
Any complaints about that device not running the Sonos app clearly should be directed toward Apple.
Any complaints about that device not running the Sonos app clearly should be directed toward Apple.
Userlevel 1
WOW!!!! Sonos shame on YOU!!!!!! After all the $$$$ I spent. but
DO I really need to buy a new IPOD? really ? That is the only solution? any reply would be great?
DO I really need to buy a new IPOD? really ? That is the only solution? any reply would be great?
You can ignore until you try to add a new Sonos device. At that point the new device will download the latest version and force all the other Sonos devices to do the same.
Userlevel 1
Can I just ignore the upgrade and continue to use me 4th generation iPod controller? Or we'll SONOS force me to eventually upgrade?
Is this about the iPod Touch 4th generation, launched in September 2010, the one that can only run iOS6 (4 generations old as of next week's iOS10 launch). In all seriousness, how can the fact that a September 2016 release of Sonos software that doesn't run on such a device cause any sort of concern? There are literally thousands upon thousands of apps that won't run on that device.
Amazon is adding Alexa to their $50 tablet, which means a full, up to date, Sonos app remote, with voice control, will cost less than any iPod ever did. Apple's planned obsolescence model is the problem here, not Sonos.
Userlevel 1
This is very disappointing
Userlevel 7
+17
ah I see what you did there, me old bluff double bluff 😛
Or maybe they have and we just don't know it. 😃
Userlevel 7
+22
Why do thrummed to do that when there are lite controllers already available.
Userlevel 7
+17
Sonos have done this before to original ipad owners, it is like a kick in the nuts, if that is your only control device that you bought as a dedicated controller as Frank did.
If I had to go out & buy new controllers every3 years, I would sell the stuff.
I think there should be a sonos lite version, even if sonos has to create a new company/whatever to get around apples version limitations. After all their own original controllers still work.
If I had to go out & buy new controllers every3 years, I would sell the stuff.
I think there should be a sonos lite version, even if sonos has to create a new company/whatever to get around apples version limitations. After all their own original controllers still work.
As stated above, even a single release out of date controller app loses most Settings menus, and in another thread a Sonos rep explained that it would not be too long before the older app didn't work at all. I personally have experienced this with older, out of date phones that I charged up and tried to kick off the app. It just hangs there not finding the system. Apple simply does not allow Sonos to keep modifying and releasing the older apps, they must remain on the app store as is. So, would you be willing to extend the life of your units a single release cycle at the cost of losing updating the index, tone controls, adding new units, TruePlay, etc., followed by one or two more release cycles after which it does not work at all? I doubt that would be satisfactory, because it would extend the life of your limited compatibility controller an additional 3-4, maximum 6-8 months.
Why should SONOS devote any resources to a light ios version? Well, first off, I'm not sure that there are any significant additional resources required. As long as they don't change any of their existing internal commands to their players, they could have simply frozen the existing ios controller App version and continued to make it available to ios 6 users. It would have continued to work, as is. They can always add new commands to their internal App/Player interface to increase functionality, but changing the existing basic command set is just plain dumb. (I spent a few decades designing, writing and maintaining s/w systems so the process isn't all that mysterious to me.) Freezing the App and letting users gradually migrate over as their old controllers die or the newer features become irresistibly attractive seems like the proper way to treat your user base.
SONOS has always been a premium system. They maintain almost Orwellian control over their retail network, making it very difficult to obtain their products for less than full list prices, which are high. We have ALL willingly paid this premium up front. We paid handsomely for the hardware but had an expectation that they would provide and maintain the controller apps required to make it work. So, why should SONOS do this? Because we've already paid for it!
To me, it is not reasonable that the functions supplied with a premium system should suddenly stop working, years after I've paid my money. (I bought a sound system, not an OS.) My three iPod Touch 4Gs cost about $200 each, plus the cost of the docks. They all still worked perfectly well before the upgrade. (They had much snappier response to commands and faster startup than the 3rd party uPNP based versions we are now being forced to use.) The iPod Touch 4G was discontinued in May 2013 so some of them out there are only 3 years old.
I've bought 14 SONOS devices over the years. They sound OK, but the main factor for me was their convenience and ability to perfectly sync the sound in different rooms. (If I want to hear really great sound, I still go to the basement and play my vinyl or non-mpged CDs.) But other companies are catching up. I was a big booster of SONOS and several friends now have their own systems. I'm not sure I'll be recommending them any more.
Feel free to agree or disagree but I continue to believe that SONOS s/w development has gone off the rails.
SONOS has always been a premium system. They maintain almost Orwellian control over their retail network, making it very difficult to obtain their products for less than full list prices, which are high. We have ALL willingly paid this premium up front. We paid handsomely for the hardware but had an expectation that they would provide and maintain the controller apps required to make it work. So, why should SONOS do this? Because we've already paid for it!
To me, it is not reasonable that the functions supplied with a premium system should suddenly stop working, years after I've paid my money. (I bought a sound system, not an OS.) My three iPod Touch 4Gs cost about $200 each, plus the cost of the docks. They all still worked perfectly well before the upgrade. (They had much snappier response to commands and faster startup than the 3rd party uPNP based versions we are now being forced to use.) The iPod Touch 4G was discontinued in May 2013 so some of them out there are only 3 years old.
I've bought 14 SONOS devices over the years. They sound OK, but the main factor for me was their convenience and ability to perfectly sync the sound in different rooms. (If I want to hear really great sound, I still go to the basement and play my vinyl or non-mpged CDs.) But other companies are catching up. I was a big booster of SONOS and several friends now have their own systems. I'm not sure I'll be recommending them any more.
Feel free to agree or disagree but I continue to believe that SONOS s/w development has gone off the rails.
And before anyone says Apple does allow it, they allow you to offer older release versions for older iOS hardware. They do not allow you to maintain and release two different versions. Given that changes on the Sonos hardware entail changes on the controller, keeping older versions of the controller that still work would be difficult, if not impossible. Even during beta, a single release difference in hardware vs. controller versions kills the majority of setup options.
Not forgetting their own controllers also (100 and 200) which also need to be kept limping along.
I'd sooner they devote their resources to something which affects more than a minority of people who happen to have old ipods from 6 years ago still running !
No they couldn't do it. Apple doesn't allow it. Apple makes money selling new iPhones, so allowing different versions of apps just to avoid orphaning older devices is not in their interest.
Guess they think there is no money in it, so let it die, move on.
How many development guys does sonos employ I wonder, seems like a cupboard with a dusty phone ;O))
Apple doesn't allow more than one app in the app store targeting different iOS versions. You either write one app without all the new bells and whistles that is backwards compatible, or you include the bells and whistles and orphan the old iOS versions. You can't do both.
Userlevel 7
+17
Sonos could do it for sure but they would have to develop, maintain and support another yet controller in addition to the PC, Mac, Android and IOS - the 'IOS lite' !
Not forgetting their own controllers also (100 and 200) which also need to be kept limping along.
I'd sooner they devote their resources to something which affects more than a minority of people who happen to have old ipods from 6 years ago still running !
Not forgetting their own controllers also (100 and 200) which also need to be kept limping along.
I'd sooner they devote their resources to something which affects more than a minority of people who happen to have old ipods from 6 years ago still running !
Userlevel 7
+22
Totally different controller type using upon controls. 3rd parties created why does Sonos need to devote any resources to a light version.
Userlevel 7
+17
Don't you think that frank has a point though, if a German guy can do it from his bedroom, so could sonos. There needs to be money it for them, so sell it from the apple store. SONOS for iOS6 controllers only @£5 then everybody is happy.. well maybe not, "you want £5 to give me functionality I already have" etc.......
Guess they think there is no money in it, so let it die, move on.
How many development guys does sonos employ I wonder, seems like a cupboard with a dusty phone ;O))
Guess they think there is no money in it, so let it die, move on.
How many development guys does sonos employ I wonder, seems like a cupboard with a dusty phone ;O))
Userlevel 7
+22
Sonophone uses uPNP commands.
You've had users complaining (I could use many more harsh words here) for Lock Control on ios devices like FOREVER. Especially after Android controllers got lock controls. Apple of course locks down their operating system so much that it makes it impossible for sonos to implement features in a controller until an operating system from apple allows it. So to get more features - they have to forcable move on to apples newer ios to get it.
Its and apple issue.
But - the solutions aren't difficult. Use a less featured controller such as Sonophone (which isn't so ios dependent) or get a cheap android (which is much more open system and less prone to being obsoleted).
Apple wants your money - Sonos never made a penny making your iPhone obsolete.
You've had users complaining (I could use many more harsh words here) for Lock Control on ios devices like FOREVER. Especially after Android controllers got lock controls. Apple of course locks down their operating system so much that it makes it impossible for sonos to implement features in a controller until an operating system from apple allows it. So to get more features - they have to forcable move on to apples newer ios to get it.
Its and apple issue.
But - the solutions aren't difficult. Use a less featured controller such as Sonophone (which isn't so ios dependent) or get a cheap android (which is much more open system and less prone to being obsoleted).
Apple wants your money - Sonos never made a penny making your iPhone obsolete.
Userlevel 7
+22
There are multiple third party Sonos controllers that will continue to work if you have a device that you have to use. They utilitze uPNP commands that aren't dependent on the operating system.
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