Retired Sonos Staff

End of Software Updates for Legacy Products

Related content:Software

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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 The information contained in this thread is outdated and may no longer be accurate.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.

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E

edamame

Trending Lyricist I

This is ridiculous. I am being penalized for being an early adopter of your product. And now I am being told….sorry here is 30% off on new products. Why the hell would I EVER buy more of your products if this is what you do.

Loved the sound. Hate the company.

S

sjmleicester

Lyricist III

Sonos are absolute Charlatans. I have been a loyal customer since they started in the UK. And have invested many thousands of pounds in their equipment. This has now been rendered absolutely useless by this removal of Update Service.

Do they honestly think I will ever spend another penny on anything they now produce?

Where as previously I have told my friends Sonos is a good system with great support , I will now tell them never to go anywhere near sonos and never to touch any of their products.

This sort of behaviour is typical of what you find at the lower end of the market.. At the top end of the market you expect continuing support. Especially as the cost of these units is by no means insignificant.

Not to mention the environmental impact this has on me having to dispose of many thousands of pounds worth of very good, working, electronic equipment that over the coming months will become completely useless. This is purely about generating extra profits.

I’m in the same boat

Early UK adopter, spent a lot of money because kit was good

This just makes me think Sonos think people aren’t upgrading or buying new kit often enough so they’ll fix that by making all existing kit obsolete at a stroke.

M

mwiseman

Enthusiast II

This is very disappointing. I have four Connects and two Play:5s. This means, even with the 30% discount, that I will need to spend more than $2,000 just to get back to where I am now.

In addition to the newly obsoleted equipment above, I have twelve Play:1s and two subs and a Playbar.

I have a considerable investment in Sonos gear. Before I even consider the Trade-In offer, I am going to research options for replacing all of my Sonos equipment.

I forgot to mention the two Flexson stands for my Play:5s. That will cost me another $300 plus.

Sonos is despicable.

N

Nelly070

Contributor II

Gutted they have done this given the amount of money I’ve spent since 2012 on their products.

Wont be spending another penny on Sonos products and I will no longer be recommending them.

Gutted

L

lawhhh

Lyricist III

Anybody want to work for them… they currently have 123 job vacancies… https://www.linkedin.com/company/sonos-inc-/people/

You could perhaps contact someone who works for them and tell them what a great idea bricking devices is and how glad you are that… in their words…

“You can continue using legacy products after May, but your system will no longer receive software updates and new features. Over time, this is likely to disrupt access to services and overall functionality”

If you dont brick your own device and send it to landfill Sonos will do it for you, over time

S

StuartM

Enthusiast I

Already in just a few hours, I hope Sonos management finally understand what a monumental dumb business decision this is. It is purely down to the cost of maintaining and updating two software versions for new and legacy products, which is costly but common practice in countless industries who appreciate their legacy customers. Rather than invest in this, Sonos expect their customers to fork out to replace perfectly good working equipment. 30% discount when the old product is disabled as scrap is pitiful, as this must still provide a healthy profit as the cost of a speaker distribution and warranty can be nowhere near 70% of the retail price. You need to try a lot harder than this if you want to retain customers and avoid a media backlash that hits your bottom line.

I

iandmck

Lyricist I

OK… so my Play 5 is no longer going to be upgraded and while it’s connected to my system, nothing else will be upgraded either. SONOS has offered a discount if I upgrade my old Play 5 to the newer version… but it’s still an outlay of more than $500AU. Given I have a few Play 1s and a soundbar & sub, I’d like some assurance that the same situation isn’t going to arise with any of my other components - again rendering my system un-updateable. SONOS, you need to publish your timeline of when other components will become un-updateable (my Play 1s are older than my now outdated Play 5). At least I will then be able to make an informed decision about purchasing a new Play 5 or sticking with the old one.

U

urotim

Lyricist I

Gutted they have done this given the amount of money I’ve spent since 2012 on their products.

Wont be spending another penny on Sonos products and I will no longer be recommending them.

Gutted

I’m feeling the same way. No more sonos for me. Total waste of money. Barely 5 years of use. Back to real HIFI for me I think. Better sound as well.

H

HelterSkelter

Enthusiast II

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.

Yes, I know that really, but I can’t continue to expand on my system, as none of the newer products would receive updates. Well I could, but they’ll all slowly start to lose functionality no doubt over the coming years, eg not be able to work with new streaming services, or keep up with existing ones if they make any changes.

The much better option (for us devoted followers) would have been for Sonos to offer us upgrade kits for our legacy items, a simple replacement motherboard, or chip, or whatever it is they need. Even sending the equipment off to have it fitted, if the owner didn’t want to (or couldn’t) do it themselves.

I don’t mind paying for an upgrade, to give the equipment up to date technology so that it can keep the system moving, but I’m not replacing all the equipment just to have the situation occur again in the future.

Just throwing away equipment that’s perfectly good, albeit a little older, is absolutely crazy.

Sorry, not getting angry at you, just so very very frustrated at Sonos.

D

Deankyall

Lyricist I

Judging by the majority of comments here, Sonos you have absolutely stuffed your loyal customers, other companies please now use this opportunity to take all us sonos customers, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime, we are being massively let down after spending big with Sonos, disgraceful, and it won’t be the end, as new products are released expect yours to only last a few more years… how long befor the original play bar, sub, play one.. etc are in this same position, then you’d have to shell out thousands, and have a useless system, what if you don’t want Alexa or google assistant, or airplay… why should you be forced, why can’t Sonos have 2 lines of speakers??? Dumb speakers, and smart? That would make sense both for loyal customers , and for environmental reasons, customers would also be more likely to not go elsewhere , this is a huge kick in the buts for Sonos original customers. Disgrace!!

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