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AustinJerry
Enthusiast I
July 8, 2017

Sonos, please stop obsoleting my iPhone controllers!

  • July 8, 2017
  • 14 replies
  • 898 views
Like many people, I periodically upgrade my iPhone to take advantage of newer features. The replaced iPhone then becomes a Sonos controller. I have two such iPhones, sitting in charger cradles next to the easy chair in the main listening room, and on the nightstand in the bedroom for the bedroom Sonos Connect.

However, now for the second time, Sonos has dropped support for one of the iPhones (OS version no longer supported). I don't pretend to understand the complexity of supporting a controller on an older iOS version, but it doesn't make me happy not to be able to use perfectly good hardware as a controller. How about a break?
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    xolubi
    Lyricist II
    October 6, 2017
    Usually, apps have to be compiled to a minimum OS version to take advantage of APIs available on that OS but nothing after. So no, writing code that will detect the iOS version isn't as feasible as you make it seem.

    Any examples of popular developers who have managed to circumvent Apple's rules and issued apps specifically targeted at legacy systems?

    I don't accept the argument....SonoPhone can do it.
    I can see the solution. Use SonoPhone. 🙂
    Living room: Playbar + Sub + 2x Play:1s in 5.1 // Bedroom: 2x Play:3s in stereo // Bathroom: Play:1 // Kitchen: Play:3 // Patio: Play:1
    Skelton
    Prodigy I
    October 6, 2017
    I don't accept the argument.

    It's a statement of fact. You can't fly if you refute gravity.

    The workaround you desire is not possible as stated because other things are changing (xolubi correctly said while I was typing this up).
      jgatie
      jgatie
      October 6, 2017
      I don't accept the argument. I can see two solutions - code in the app that detects the iOS version and only offers the advanced functions to those versions that can handle it.

      Not possible, and against Apple's Developer TOS, which requires you to use a certain SDK in order to access new functionality, an SDK that targets only certain iOS versions.


      Alternatively issue apps with the version number - Sonos6, Sonos7, Sonos8 etc. The older ones don't need to be updated just continue to work with the function they were designed for. After all the protocol doesn't change so there is no reason why they should stop. SonoPhone can do it.

      Also not possible. Apple only allows version versions to be released as is, you cannot develop and release multiple apps targeted towards a specific iOS version. As such, the older releases would very soon be incompatible with newer firmware and/or music services and thus cease to work.


      After all the protocol doesn't change so there is no reason why they should stop. SonoPhone can do it.

      Protocols change all the time. The BBC changed their streaming protocol, Spotify changed from a direct to a web based API. Sonos itself changed the security measures needed to access AWS when they enabled Spotify Direct Control. Just ask the people who tried to cling to version 4.1 how long they were able to fully function.


      SonoPhone can do it.

      Then I suggest you use SonosPhone, and forego any new functionality available via the official app.
      Bazzap
      Lyricist I
      October 14, 2018
      I can understand all the logical arguments here as to why older iPhones and iPads running older versions of IOS can no longer be supported.
      However, this does not remove any of the frustration that these perfectly working devices are effectively made obsolete.
      So your Sonos speaker system becomes unusable unless you pay many, many hundreds of pounds to buy newer replacement iPhones and iPads
      (In some cases quite a lot more than the original cost of your Sonos equipment)
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