TRUEPLAY ANDROID Legality

How did Sonos force you to buy their kit in the first place, @Woody250? And then to upgrade to the multi cinema systems you now own? 
 

Surely you liked the sound of the kit before you bought? Did you buy from Sonos on the home-trial option? Or heard them play in a retailer? You liked the sound, you paid your money, you liked it enough to buy more kit. What has changed? 

I shall contribute no more to this topic, you’ll no doubt be happy to hear. But I shall continue to read future posts - they are very entertaining. I genuinely do hope you are able to resolve your concerns, but I doubt that any legal action will be the way forwards. 

@Woody250 Even worse - they require an OEM piece, that frequently gets lost. Everybody owns a phone these days, so the idea to use that is very smart. The limitation to iPhones is unfortunate but understandable - and widely published. Do you really not know anyone that owns an iPhone or iPad?

The examples of these products that I’ve seen all use a wired microphone and the wire is usually too short -- especially if the product is hidden away in a cabinet or closet.

Also, it is not possible to effectively characterize the room by measuring at a single point. The SONOS scheme requires that the iOS device walks the room. If you think through the process a little, this “walk” implies that Trueplay works with the iOS inertial sensors in order to get a sense of position as Trueplay maps out the room’s acoustics. I don’t know if cheap Android devices would have the required sensors and the sensor technology would likely vary from model to model, complicating the task of developing the App.. We’d likely have a flush of complaints that “Trueplay does not work on my XYZ Android tablet”. It’s already somewhat of a problem simply running the SONOS controller on cheap Android tablets and old iOS devices using an ancient (not updatable) operating system that is not capable of running the controller.

This is both a good statement of the problem and a good solution to it.

I have to agree with you. I have had several run-ins with Sonos since I purchased their speakers (1 & 3 units), most having to do with the app and speaker operating system compatibility or incompatibility due to speaker and phone OS updates. It was never clear on the retail packaging that an iOS device is required to tune the speaker to its operating environment. They really should be sued for not supporting Truplay on every device or platform that their own app runs on. There are quite a few iEverything snobs responding to this post and one or two who claim they are Android users only and like the way their speakers sound without ever having heard one tuned to a specific room.

So when buying expensive speakers you have no responsibility at all to check if features that are important to you will work on your chosen OS? See the Sonos website: this is not a secret.

Not sure what run isn you had with Sonos, but why would you hold them accountable for updates on your phone OS?

I am an Android phone user and before I started buying my Sonos system early last year, I was fully aware that I needed an iOS device to use Trueplay. I do have family members near by that I could borrow from, but I decided to buy a cheap (ISH) second hand iPad to use instead. It works out well as I can re-do Trueplay when I want. Any online review usually states the iOS limitations with Trueplay. 

I suggest you call a lawyer before making threats to sue.  It will be an eye opening experience, I assure you.  And I hate Apple with every fiber of my being, so no, not an “iEverything snob”.

Your argument is that a device needs to fully explain all features and limitations on the retail packaging or they can be sued for false advertising?  Seriously?  Consider for a moment how impractical that is and how pretty much every modern product containing software/firmware could be sued. 

Trueplay tuning is not a required operate the speaker.  The speaker works fine without tuning.  I have both android and apple devices and have found that in some cases, I prefer the room untuned.  The idea that Sonos cannot implement a feature unless they support it on every android, iOS or any other device that can be used as a Sonos controller is completely illogical.  Sonos does not control these 3rd party device and has no say in their features and limitations, currently or in the future. 

In a more general sense, the original OPs idea that Sonos speakers shouldn’t be dependent on other 3rd party products is crazy.  Sonos needs wifi, internet access, streaming services, controlling devices, audio input sources, bluetooth sources, etc...depending on what features you want to use.  And it’s certainly not unique to Sonos.  

Since you seem to like that word “seriously” may I suggest you “seriously” think about a product with features that are only available to a select collection of the population with certain third party devices to control them.  If the device running Sonos’ own application cannot use all of the features of its product then that is a deficiency that needs to be corrected.  I “seriously” doubt anyone would purchase a car under the same conditions.

I would agree with your erroneous assertions if Sonos provided their own controlling device that offered access to all the features of its speakers with the option for owners to use third party controllers that may not allow access to all available features.  The packaging should make clear that all functions or features may not be available to users of non-iOS devices.  I also have iOS and Android devices and I prefer the tuned sound of these speakers.