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 The information contained in this thread is outdated and may no longer be accurate.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

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K

Kumar

@morgan4x4 : no worries at this time, just get off the upgrade train and continue using the system as you are using it now. When any hardware dies, you have a problem though…for all that remains, if you want to replace with Sonos.

Ryan SAuthor

Retired Sonos Staff

@morgan4x4, if all of those devices are legacy devices, your system will continue to function as it does today once the update happens in May. The only change is that your Sonos system will no longer receive software updates. Your experience will initially remain the same. However, the functionality of features and services will be impacted as technology, particularly music service and voice partners, evolves over time. If

Mark good posts by pressing the like button, and select the best answer on questions you've asked to help others find solutions.

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NeedSleep

Renowned Enthusiast I

Wow.. way to announce this a week after the price hikes go into effect. With five zones impacted by this I’ll have to re-evaluate my future commitment to Sonos. I’ve built up my system over 15 years and can’t afford to replace all of these components in short order. This news is very disappointing.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This so much. They screwed some of you so much on the timing of the price hike this announcement ^^^^^^^^^^^^

pwt

Virtuoso

@morgan4x4 : no worries at this time, just get off the upgrade train and continue using the system as you are using it now. When any hardware dies, you have a problem though…for all that remains, if you want to replace with Sonos.

Or until Apple Music (e.g.) changes anything about its streaming protocol.

4 x P:5 | Sub | 4 x P:1 | 3 x Connect | 2 x Boost | Connect:Amp | 2 x One | Amp | Move | Port | Era 300

M

Michael MacNeill

Contributor I

Was quite cheesed off when I read this.

I do not have £1000+ to replace units that work perfectly fine now.

I've still managed to keep old faithful (the hand held controller) going for many years since it wouldn't get updated so it may all not be doom and gloom but if we start to lose being able to use the system as is around the house, I'm really not sure what I'd do. Throw more money at it. Not sure I can and not sure I would if this may then affect future components.

C

chrissellers

Lyricist I

I’ve just had the same email warning 3 x Bridge (already replaced by a boost) and then 2 x Sonos 5 are in effect end of life. More concerning beyond the fact that the 5s will not be updated is the statement further down the email “ 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. “ Are they saying my whole system will be stuck on old software! Rather concerned if I am reading this correctly. That’s a lot of kit that is going to be ignored by Sonos! (including the Move I received at Christmas)

M

Michael Mantkowski

Enthusiast I

This is very distressing for me. I just received the email and it says I have 11 devices going out of support. There is no way I am going to spend all that money to upgrade all this.

I have been a loyal SONOS customer for almost as long as they have been around. (Probably evident by the number of devices I have.) and have recommended the system over and over. Many of my friends now have a SONOS system because of that.

Several of the devices that are going out are AMPS that I use on my patio, garage and office. They are expecting that I am going to fork over $450 ish for each one of these just so I can keep up? There is no way. Maybe if they turned it around and offered a 70% discounts on replacements. But 30% is not much incentive with the price the replacements are these days.

Not sure what I am going to do at this point. But one of my options is to just scrap SONOS completely and go with some other ALEXA controlled system that costs much less. I would hate to do that as I love my current system. But the choice of “Freeze where you are” or fork over thousands of dollars is not going to work.

I get that they want to move onto newer and better things. But when people have invested so much money in their products I feel there needs to be a better solution.

Michael

F

Francis888

Lyricist I

I understand products need to expire eventually, and your site mentions 2005-2011 for my Sonos 5 product, but i bought this in Mexico new in 2015 (only 4 years ago) and it is already an expired product, and on top of that there is no (pathetic 30%) upgrade program for Mexico.

Now my Sonos 1s will eventually stop working too if I leave that Sonos 5 lemon connected.

It was bought at the most high end retail chain in Mexico. I can provide invoice. It looks like Sonos was dumping old products to Mexico..

This is not a good experience. If you're going to retire products, you need to pull them off the shelf earlier than that, and you need to provide a better upgrade path.

I’ve lost confidence in your company. Shame on you.

A

Amadeus1756

Avid Contributor II

@Ryan S Can you say who decided on this disrespectful plan? I assume it’s either a new marketing/product manager or the new(ish) CEO? I’m looking to see who we should vent our anger at. Most of the people on this thread seem to be thoroughly pissed off with this change.

I see you have a Gen:1 device; will you be replacing this (with the 30% discount)?

Sonos seemed to be developing an Apple-like customer loyalty but that was built up over many years. if they’d tried this kind of arrogance so soon after their success, they’d not be where they are now.

S

shoturtle

Prodigy III

Ryan,

If the system is frozen with legacy, which I am fine with. When new updates are release for controller on android or iOS or mac or pc. Will the controller updates still work with the legacy system. If not is there a plan to freeze the controller so it won't update?

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