The newly redesigned app for iOS is GARBAGE. A huge step backwards for what was an efficient way of routing music to specific rooms and speakers. It takes multiple non-intuitive steps to get the content to the place you want it. Talk about a massive screw up by the UI team. Who approved this mess? You have to tap three extra steps to get the music to the right location, and even then, you get caught in loops back and forth just trying to associate a source with a room.
Seriously. Go back to the previous UI. This new one is a disaster.
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+22I would assume the bar is here to stay. Scrapping it would require a full re-write. I would assume the current interface will be around for pretty long time. Focus should be in what parts of it can change to make it most usable. I personally think the bar at the bottom always visible will be a welcome navigation tool.
The last version which was a fiasco when came out was still around 3 years. The current version also translate well to native apps that people use so new user acceptance will probably be high once they fix the glaring issues.
The last version which was a fiasco when came out was still around 3 years. The current version also translate well to native apps that people use so new user acceptance will probably be high once they fix the glaring issues.
Getting rid of that tab bar vs having it always show is probably quite similar in effort. I agree though that the likelihood of a proper rollback is quite slim, as the closest Sonos has come to acknowledging a problem is that the app has a 'steep learning curve'.
A quick fix that would solve quite a lot of frustration already is to have the infamous red room thingy work again they way it did. As this is exactly what the rooms tab does, that should be a very easy fix.
Not having the bar be darker than the rest of the app, would also make a big difference. Especially on a black ipad, the thing simply disappears from view because of the glaring white main screen. Sonos appears to at least be looking into this part of the issue though, so fingers crossed.
Reorganizing the tabs would also be helpful, with search next to browse, and my sonos labeled favorites. Better yet would be to move the search back into the top of the (now browse) screen. Together with the quick fix of rooms this would allow most to just ignore that tab bar for common tasks.
If they do stick to a tab bar I'd like to see it moved to the top (similar to google's music player) so it's no longer in competition with the now playing bar. Having two bars at the bottom just doesn't make sense, and the top of the screen is hardly used for the moment. The old menu had a much better balance in this regard.
In the long run, I think Sonos should just switch back to a interface model that is centered around what's now playing, instead of around a navigation bar. With the bottom of the screen focused on quick controls (play/pause, previous/next, rooms, like, queue, etc) and the top focused on changing what's playing.
Most importantly though, is for Sonos to do something about the process that got us into this mess in the first place. Introducing real user test, with a willingness to listen and adapt during beta, postponing the release until the software is ready, etc. You just don't treat your customers - who often payed a couple of thousands for their system - as guinea pigs.
A quick fix that would solve quite a lot of frustration already is to have the infamous red room thingy work again they way it did. As this is exactly what the rooms tab does, that should be a very easy fix.
Not having the bar be darker than the rest of the app, would also make a big difference. Especially on a black ipad, the thing simply disappears from view because of the glaring white main screen. Sonos appears to at least be looking into this part of the issue though, so fingers crossed.
Reorganizing the tabs would also be helpful, with search next to browse, and my sonos labeled favorites. Better yet would be to move the search back into the top of the (now browse) screen. Together with the quick fix of rooms this would allow most to just ignore that tab bar for common tasks.
If they do stick to a tab bar I'd like to see it moved to the top (similar to google's music player) so it's no longer in competition with the now playing bar. Having two bars at the bottom just doesn't make sense, and the top of the screen is hardly used for the moment. The old menu had a much better balance in this regard.
In the long run, I think Sonos should just switch back to a interface model that is centered around what's now playing, instead of around a navigation bar. With the bottom of the screen focused on quick controls (play/pause, previous/next, rooms, like, queue, etc) and the top focused on changing what's playing.
Most importantly though, is for Sonos to do something about the process that got us into this mess in the first place. Introducing real user test, with a willingness to listen and adapt during beta, postponing the release until the software is ready, etc. You just don't treat your customers - who often payed a couple of thousands for their system - as guinea pigs.
+22Great ideas user103951. I do think the tab bar being at bottom is better for one handed operation. Just like with the old room header that was on old version I always thought would be better at bottom. But that is just my personal preference. Room being abheader did make sense where now the room is really a footer with the new play now bar and screen.
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