Retired Sonos Staff

End of Software Updates for Legacy Products

Related content:Software

1377 replies
91176 views

Please note that we’ve created a new thread with some clarifications to questions that have come up several times in this thread. Please see here to continue the discussion if you still have any questions. The information contained in this thread is outdated and may no longer be accurate.

We have some important news regarding our oldest Sonos devices shared on the Sonos Blog today. The text of that blog post is being included here for your convenience:

Starting in May 2020, some of our oldest products will no longer receive software updates or new features. We want to explain why and your options.

When we first set out almost 20 years ago to invent the technology to easily listen to any song in any room, most of the ways we listen to music today did not exist. In fact, the first Sonos products were introduced before the first iPhone was announced and when Myspace still ruled social media.

In order to invent multi-room music and smart speakers, we combined the worlds of high-fidelity audio and computing. Every Sonos product has a microprocessor, flash memory, and other hardware components typically found in computers and smartphones.

Since launching our first products, technology has advanced at an exponential rate; from streaming services and voice assistants to wireless networking and Bluetooth capabilities. Through all of this transformation, we have continued delivering new features via software updates. We’re extremely proud of the fact that we build products that last a long time, and that listeners continue to enjoy them. In fact, 92% of the products we’ve ever shipped are still in use today. That is unheard of in the world of consumer electronics. However, we’ve now come to a point where some of the oldest products have been stretched to their technical limits in terms of memory and processing power.

This coming May, these legacy products—our original Zone Players, Connect, and Connect:Amp (launched in 2006; includes versions sold until 2015), first-generation Play:5 (launched 2009), CR200 (launched 2009), and Bridge (launched 2007)—will no longer receive software updates or new features.

Today the Sonos experience relies on an interconnected ecosystem, giving you access to more than 100 streaming services, voice assistants, and control options like Apple AirPlay 2. Without new software updates, access to services and overall functionality of your sound system will eventually be disrupted, particularly as partners evolve their technology.

To help you through this transition, we’re providing two options:

Option 1: Continue using these legacy products, recognizing that your system will no longer receive software updates and new features.

Option 2: Trade up to a new Sonos product with a 30% credit for each legacy product you replace.

If you’re not sure if your products are affected, you can check in the System tab in your sonos.com-account

If you choose to participate in the trade up program, your legacy products will be put in Recycle Mode, a state that deletes personally identifiable information and prepares these products for e-recycling. Recycle Mode also protects unsuspecting people from buying legacy products that are approaching the end of their useful life and won’t provide the Sonos experience customers expect today. Recycle Mode will only apply to the legacy products listed above.

We ask that you take your legacy products to a nearby certified e-recycling facility. This is the most environmentally friendly way to recycle. That said, if there isn’t a facility in your area, we are happy to pay for you to ship your products back to Sonos for responsible recycling.

Ideally all our products would last forever, but for now we’re limited by the existing technology. Our responsibility here is threefold: build products that last a long time; continually look for ways to make our products more environmentally friendly through materials, packaging, and our supply chain and take responsibility for helping you through the transition once products near the end of their useful life.

We’ve always believed in freedom of choice, whether that means choosing a certain streaming service or way to control your listening experience. We hope the choices provided here—continuing to use these products without new software updates or trading up to our modern products—enable you to make the choice that’s right for you.

We are honored to have a place in your home and want to make sure that we help continue to bring the best experience we can, even when products reach the end of their useful life.

More information.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

Show previous replies

jgatie

I read that if you have legacy products connected you will not be able to update your system until you disconnect them. Once disconnected they will no longer work.

We need to Ban together as consumers and make a report to the

Consumer Protection Agency.

You read wrong. The only way a Sonos device is bricked is if you physically choose to recycle the item via the Sonos Trade Up program. You are correct that updates will stop.

T

the_badger

Contributor I

Sonos - this is an appalling decision.

Rather than trying to force users to discard perfectly functional equipment with the resulting e-waste and unnecessary resource usage that this entails, the ethical and responsible thing for Sonos to do is to offer to upgrade the equipment - even if it means replacing the mainboard, then speakers, casing, power supplies could be left in place. In this day and age, companies need to show leadership and greater environmental responsibility. Right now, as my current system functions just fine I don’t really care about software updates - frankly the fewer the better - it’s a music system after all. However if the current capability starts to degrade and becomes unreliable then I will not be spending more money with Sonos unless they start to show greater responsibility for their actions.

D

dennis1

Lyricist II

I’m still processing the notion that basically my entire 7 zone system is basically obsolete.

I’ve had SONOS since it was born, I’ve been a promoter of it to anyone who would listen… but I’m actively reconsidering that position/outlook.

My questions:

The way the announcement was worded, I’m expecting that at some point in time my system loses CURRENT working functionality - which means it’s useless to me. Is that true?

Eventually, a music service may make changes that are incomaptible with old software. Thus, functionality will gradually decrease in regards to streaming services. Local library streaming will be fine.

I’m fine just freezing my system at whatever SW version will continue to work on my hardware. How do I do that right now? I can do without whatever SONOS is developing going forward.

I’m sure Sonos will have instructions/procedures for locking out updates before the big day comes.

My system stream music just fine right now. If SONOS updates my system and that feature is removed, I would join thousands of owners in suing SONOS to force them to buy back every piece of their equipment that they have turned onto boat anchors.

melvimbe

There was no ‘this product expires in 2020’ label on them!

The product isn’t expiring, software support has been dropped. All software companies drop support of a product eventually, and I’ve never heard of company announcing when support will drop before a product is sold. This is a significantly different situation though since Sonos devices are highly dependent on each other within a system because of their functions. I’m not aware of a similar situation.

Well, yes I am. Bose dropped an entire smart speaker product line a while back. You could use any of it with their new product line. I can’t imagine any of us would like that plan better. Other smart speaker systems are no longer operating at all, or are too new to reach the point where Sonos is at right now (I’m thinking of Amazon and Google specifically)

Danny

K

Keithmac

Virtuoso

Absolutely Shocking announcement!.

Surely "Legacy" devices could be made to run limited but current firmware.

I have over £2000 invested which is small fry to some on here, yet I already see the writing on the wall for my Playbar 5.1 setup and Play:3 and Play:1s

I genuinely feel sorry for all the early adopters that have been abandoned by Sonos.

Not everyone wants or needs voice control, you've alienated a massive part of your user base.

The tone and anger in this thread, plus the sheer number of replies must tell Sonos what a genuinely bad idea it is to discontinue 1000's of units.

Looks like commercial suicide to me.

Who in their right minds would "invest" in more Sonos kit now?.

P

peter gerst

Enthusiast I

It is time for us Sonos users to band together and class action against this corrupt company. How dare they threaten to stop supporting my system all at once? This is outrageous

stay tuned This is why class actions exist

P

peter gerst

Enthusiast I

This is going to backfire big time for sonos

C

castalla

Local Superstar

One important aspect of Sonos speakers is they do not work without a controller with an internet connection. So when the controller stops working, which it inevitably will without regular software updates, your expensive Sonos speakers will become useless bricks.

If you happen to have a line-in, you may be able to continue using them like it’s 1999. But many Sonos speakers do not have a line in: https://support.sonos.com/s/article/1080?language=en_US

What that means is when (not if) Sonos stops updating your Play:1, Play:3 and gen 3 Play:5 speakers, they will simply stop working soon thereafter and you will have to throw them away.

No - you can use the speakers with other systems and controllers. You’d maybe find they work better ...

It's the courageous bee's knees - all 6 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝. - - - - - Make Sonos Great Again - - - - -

C

critters

Lyricist I

I feel like I’ve been robbed by Sonos.

I have a Connect Amp I bought exactly 2 years ago, at the time it cost me £499 and they’re offering me 30% trade in for it?

I’m sure this will be the last time I buy anything from Sonos. I’ve written a complaint to them not that it’ll make any difference. I feel like an idiot not worrying if the Connect Amp had been out for too long.

There are other companies making similar products, at the time I was going to buy something much more expensive and I’ll look at other companies products out of principle.

Unless you were sold very old stock, a Connect from 2 years ago is not legacy and will not be affected.

Thanks, anyway you know to clarify that? I’d have thought the website would have confirmed.

On my account on the Sonos website there’s a “Modern product” label next to my actual system, no idea if that’s an indication.

M

minty7815

Lyricist II

Well I’ve been debating whether to invest in Sonos further, we have a play5 (gen1), play5 (gen2) and a play1 (gen1) and this has made the decision a little easier. I think we’ll be ditching Sonos, the 30% upgrade offer is pretty derisory when I have to brick the play5...I can’t move it to the workshop and use it with an old phone from there. I’ve got to bin it. It’s pretty shitty behaviour considering the state of the planet. Personally I think Sonos has made a huge error here and so I’ll be moving on. A shame as it’s well made kit, just not built to last!

Show more replies

Sign up

Login to the community