non support of older sonos speakers

My phone is a computer and works fine - and will continue to work fine using the same software until something dies. If I try and run more memory/processor intensive software on it, then understandably it might have problems - but the phone manufacturer doesn't force me to run them. Whilst some would say that Sonos doesn't force you either, the fact that you can't add a new device to an old software build is the killer - eventually you'll be in trouble.

Your phone OS may work fine, but I would bet that many of the apps on them no longer would, Eventually, you wouldn't be able to add any new apps without upgrading your OS. The apps stores don't allow you to pick the version of app that's compatible with your OS version. This really isn't any different than the Sonos situation. What your saying Sonos should do is ship their new products on lower versions and then allow users to upgrade to what version they currently are. Clearly Sonos would have to maintain these versions to install them, and provide support for new products on multiple versions.

It may seem on the surface that allowing new products on old versions is not a big deal, but it actually is pretty much providing full support for older versions.

And how long before someone wants Classic 2 for some other development? I am not convinced Airplay 2 is such a unique tipping point anyway. To make a non-Airplay 2 compatible speaker work with Airplay 2 you buy a compatible speaker. To make a non-Alexa enabled speaker work with Alexa you buy an Echo device.

Slippery slope. I believe Sonos should and will resist calls for legacy versions.

Yes it will need two lots of support. But again they support Beta anyway...
No they don't, at least not to anything like the same degree. The clue is in the name: Beta

Well yes Airplay2 is not the tipping point. The tipping point could be the next sonos kit that no longer works, if it's a biggy.
Hopefully it will never happen, but this thread is about what if it does...

Well when the unknown development bricks the unknown device and we see Sonos' unknown mitigating action, then we will have something to talk about....

Of course I agree they won't do that. I was thinking more like a generous trade in of ZP80 for a Connect, maybe. But who knows? My point was that worrying about a non-existing problem is pointless

TBH Sonos' software quality seems to get worse with every new release so I'd quite like to go back to the 2 years ago version for my Play5! If they stop doing support once things get stable again I'd be happy for no more updates, and I won't be buying more Sonos kit in the future

I'm not complaining about network issues. My beef is pointless/retrograde UI changes, general app stability (often freezes/crashes restarts and terrible support for the total borkage of programme search working at all/or even just reasonably for BBC programmes. If you search my bug reports you will see the pathetic level of support received.



TBH Sonos' software quality seems to get worse with every new release
Evidence? Examples?

The vast majority of people's problems stem from their defective networks: IP conflicts, wireless signal/interference issues, and of late the introduction of meshed WiFi systems which typically contain a second router and transmit on multiple channels.