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Sonon ripped me off
Contributor I
September 7, 2019

Sonos abandoned their customers

The only reason I purchased Sonos was for the compatibility with my iPhone. The sales person pointed out Sonos vs other available systems and demonstrated how easy Sonos paired with my iPhone. No streaming apps or other options necessary. So I went full in. My house is totally Sonos linked to my music library and playlists on my iPhone. And now Sonos has killed the only reason it was purchased. I understand technology upgrades, as Sonos seems to force weekly, but now my entire purchase is useless. I'm not on a streaming service, (extra cost) and I don't use a PC for iTunes. Bottom line, I spent a lot of money on Sonos vs Bose, and Sonos abandoned their advertised product. Looking forward to the class action. I'll be first in line!
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    20 replies

    Airgetlam
    Airgetlam
    September 8, 2019
    If you've read the main thread, or any of the many, many, other threads on this issue, you'd have seen that a streaming service is available that does not have an extra cost.

    However, you seem to be rather put out by this change that was made by Apple that forced Sonos and other companies to remove this convenience. I can't help you on that point.

    Nor does my Sonos system need weekly updates, but perhaps your system is different than mine.

    I wish you the best of luck.
    Bruce
      Dave hill866
      Contributor I
      September 9, 2019
      Couldn't agree more, I invested near on 7 grand on speakers and ipads for them to remove this feature and it is a very bitter pill to swallow. There are other options as I'm sure you are aware but in some instances these are not viable options for people. Unfortunately as I have had too you will just have to adapt.It's easy to blame apple but when i bought my first speakers streaming services were not even available and they made it work fine with apple devices. I'm sure they could find a way to fix this but maybe they just don't have the will to want to support the existing customers and are more focused on new ones.

      If a class action comes out count me in.
      jgatie
      jgatie
      September 9, 2019
      Couldn't agree more, I invested near on 7 grand on speakers and ipads for them to remove this feature and it is a very bitter pill to swallow. There are other options as I'm sure you are aware but in some instances these are not viable options for people. Unfortunately as I have had too you will just have to adapt.It's easy to blame apple but when i bought my first speakers streaming services were not even available and they made it work fine with apple devices. I'm sure they could find a way to fix this but maybe they just don't have the will to want to support the existing customers and are more focused on new ones.

      If a class action comes out count me in.

      If you bought your Sonos devices before streaming services were available, you bought them well before "On this iDevice" was implemented. Streaming services have been on Sonos since before the iPhone existed. The first, Rhapsody, was supported way back in 2005.
      melvimbe
      melvimbe
      September 9, 2019
      Bottom line, I spent a lot of money on Sonos vs Bose, and Sonos abandoned their advertised product. Looking forward to the class action. I'll be first in line!

      As I understand it, Bose 'abandoned' their entire existing product line of wifi speakers in order to support a new line with Alexa capabilities. I'm sure they will provide basic updates to keep the system running for a few years, but surely will drop support as soon as they can justify it.

      Now that's not that's exactly a fair comparison, and there are surely some that would rather have a system that can always fall back on bluetooth after wifi support is gone, however, there are positives and negatives with different support models.
      Danny
        frankjohn
        Lyricist I
        September 10, 2019
        I believe the reasons given for withdrawing the ‘on my iphone’ facility are fatuous and the move is a betrayal of Sonos customers. A successful company like Sonos really should be ashamed of this move as the super convenient facility like this is important to customers who invested in Sonos play speakers which now don’t even feature in your tick boxes for joining this forum. Not good enough. End of Sonos kit for me. What will you kill off next ?
        XXXX
        Lyricist III
        November 8, 2019

        Here’s what it appears happened.  Apple came out with airplay and Sonos realized it could save lots of money if it licensed that airplay technology from Apple (which will be continuously updated by Apple) rather than have an in-house Sonos crew of programmers struggling to update that horrific Sonos app to keep it compatible with IOS on iPads and iPhones.  Someone in that meeting likely said that many of Sonos’s existing products would no longer work with iPads and iPhones, as Sonos advertised for many years, if the Sonos app did not continue to support iOS for iPhones and iPads.  Then someone else likely said “too bad, we can save a lot of money going with airplay and eliminating our programmers working on our Apple app,” likely throwing in the expected cost of a class action settlement vs. the airplay cost savings.  So, my opinion is that they went with airplay, abandoned the iPad and iPhone apps, and gave the finger to all of the early buyers of the products that allowed Sonos to succeed.  

        John B
        November 8, 2019

        Utter fantasy, but who can be bothered to argue any more?

          bockersjv
          bockersjv
          Local Superstar
          November 8, 2019

          Here’s what it appears happened. …....

          So are Bluesound also in on your conspiracy theory?  They have had the exact same issue with Apple and discontinued the direct streaming?  The app it’s still comparable with iOS devices too just direct streaming from music stored in the device has been disabled by Apple. 
           

          Also this facility is still available for Android users.  How does that fit your conspiracy theory or opinion. 

          jgatie
          jgatie
          November 8, 2019

          Here’s what it appears happened.  Apple came out with airplay and Sonos realized it could save lots of money if it licensed that airplay technology from Apple (which will be continuously updated by Apple) rather than have an in-house Sonos crew of programmers struggling to update that horrific Sonos app to keep it compatible with IOS on iPads and iPhones.  Someone in that meeting likely said that many of Sonos’s existing products would no longer work with iPads and iPhones, as Sonos advertised for many years, if the Sonos app did not continue to support iOS for iPhones and iPads.  Then someone else likely said “too bad, we can save a lot of money going with airplay and eliminating our programmers working on our Apple app,” likely throwing in the expected cost of a class action settlement vs. the airplay cost savings.  So, my opinion is that they went with airplay, abandoned the iPad and iPhone apps, and gave the finger to all of the early buyers of the products that allowed Sonos to succeed.  

           

          Great theory, except:

          1. They have not “abandoned the iPhone and iPad apps”.  They still work as before, minus the “On this iDevice” functionality.
          2. They tried for a year to fix this, it was not something done in haste or solely due to financial reasons.
          3. If this were the case, why keep Android?  Android has the same functions as Airplay via Chromecast, yet Sonos still allows you to play from an Android device.  
          4. Bluesound also eliminated playing from an iDevice.
          5. “Early buyers” never had this feature.  Early buyers played from a local library or an NAS, something you can still do today.  Then came streaming services, and THEN came “On this iDevice”, 6 years after “early buyers” bought their first Sonos devices. If anybody was “abandoned” it was niche iOS buyers who do not use streaming services and store all their music on a phone.
            XXXX
            Lyricist III
            November 10, 2019

            Guys or Gals, I understand you have been hired as influencers and are doing your very best under difficult circumstances, but Sonos definitely advertised that Sonos speakers were controllable by iPhones and iPads.  I repeat:  SONOS ADVERTISED THAT ITS SPEAKERS WERE CONTROLLABLE BY IPHONES AND IPADS. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH AIRPLAY.  IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT SONOS SPEAKERS ARE NO LONGER CONTROLLABLE BY AN IPAD OR AN IPHONE!  DO YOU GET THAT?  There is an enormous difference between hauling a laptop around a house and carrying an iPad or iphone.

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