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 The information contained in this thread is outdated and may no longer be accurate.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

Avid Contributor I

Dear Sonos - you are a disappointment.

Firstly to the environment - are we expected to just throw away our perfectly functional expensive systems? You say “recycle” but that is in reality a joke. And to make the announcement during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting Davos 2020, where environmental issues are dominating the agenda!

Secondly where’s the loyalty from you? I invested greatly in Sonos a few years a go and cannot believe, because Sonos control my system, they are blackmailing me into changing it.

Thirdly, I purchased a Play:5 and Play:3 at the same time - their design is similar - i.e. from the same period, and I suspect connection circuitry, (besides the amp) is identical. BUT the Play:3 is not on the list of items about to become redundant. Why? Because the Play:3 is still "current". So it is absolute rubbish when Sonos say they are forced to discontinue support because of hardware limitations. It is purely to force us loyal, legacy users to upgrade, which is outrageous when so many bought into he system. I love my two "Connect Amps", two "Connect" devices, "Play:1”, “Play:3" and "Play:5" speakers. They all work, and whilst I realise they will continue to function beyond May 2020, it is such a worry that you have admitted you can shut them down remotely, which is inevitable, I am sure.

Interestingly I have two identical "Connect" devices, purchased at the same time. One is shown as okay, "modern device", the other as "End of software updates" - why? They are the same unit., registered at the same time. Probably a bug in the system, but again proves this is all for profit.

T

TH of U

Lyricist I

Longtime customer who finds this outrageous. I’ve used Sonos for years and been happy enough to recommend you to others. Never again if this goes forward. I won’t upgrade just on principle - your efforts to hold my entire system hostage in order to force equipment upgrades are irritating in the extreme.

If this goes forward, you’ve lost me as a customer. There’s no coming back from this.

R

rodhead

Lyricist III

Goodbye Sonos, unless you continue supporting older units alongside newer ones.

Who will buy your products knowing they are signing on to an endless upgrade cycle?

T

toastedbass

Lyricist III

I’m sorry but I don’t get it. You should able to develop a product that continues to be supported with new features only available on newer units.

:-(

I think that’s part of the problem. They have hardly any meaningful updates that incentivise customers to upgrade hardware anymore. The core of the product offering has been frozen in time, with most of the work going into streaming support for niche services that most people will never use. Airplay I am sure certainly drove some sales, but I can’t think of a lot else. Maybe the smart assistant stuff is way bigger than I imagine, because it doesn’t interest me in the slightest?

J

joeboy1974

Lyricist I

So my Play 5 is being bricked and soon my 3 and 1’s will go the way of the dodo. 30% discount with a circa 30% price increase since I bought the Gen 1 isn’t great and the Gen 2 has been out for a few years.

This is like offering customers a rental ad infinitum.

I think like the rest of aggrieved customers who’ve spent a lot of money, you need to be transparent and provide your road map with an approximate timeline and shelf life of each product.

I won’t be upgrading - will just kill it off progressively and replace with good separates and a music streamer which will provide what Sonos does without being inextricably linked to the speakers. This way the tech shelf life exposure will only be exposed to the streaming device.

I appreciate that nothing lasts forever but when you’ve bought six of them it’s a bitter pill to swallow.

P

Paul000000

Lyricist III

As been said already send the ceo an email, still waiting a reply tho. But as things stand another customer lost and already looking at alternatives. And just look at there share price falling faster than a stone in water. So long and thanks for the fish.

Please post CEO’s email

The CEOs email address is

patrick.spence@sonos.com

ive emailed him but I'm not expecting a reply !!

Thanks.

It is not about the expectation of a reply as much as it is about the consumer expressing themselves.

A

amun

Sonos simply had to take this action.

No, they didn’t. It has been apparent for some time that there was a problem with their initial strategy of having everything on each player, and there has been plenty of time for them to come up with alternative approaches that didn’t obsolete older equipment.

There is no reason that you couldn’t have a more powerful ‘controller’that co-ordinated all the other kit, including the limited older kit as well as the newer kit, but it would have meant a total redesign of the way that the system works. Considering the amount of money that Sonos have made, this would have been a much more forward thinking and customer friendly approach that would have generated even more customer loyalty. It would have shown that Sonos were a company worth paying the extra for.

R

rossdude

Lyricist III

Thirdly, I purchased a Play:5 and Play:3 at the same time - their design is similar - i.e. from the same period, and I suspect connection circuitry, (besides the amp) is identical. BUT the Play:3 is not on the list of items about to become redundant. Why? Because the Play:3 is still "current". So it is absolute rubbish when Sonos say they are forced to discontinue support because of hardware limitations.

A very good point! How can a speaker that came out during the same period continue to be updated and the other one not be!

C

chrisss

Avid Contributor I

Hmmm, I’ve been a customer since 2006, and appreciate that technology changes. I’d take issue with the statement that such product longevity is unheard of in consumer electronics, I have a 40 year old hifi system that still sounds better than a great many more recent products, and it works flawlessly. Still, I work in the IT space and understand that hardware changes rapidly, as does the software to take advantage of the hardware improvements.

In my case, I have 8 zones, and 5 of those have products that are at “end of life”. To replace all those units (2 connect, 2 amps, 1 Play 5) would cost a considerable amount of money and it’s simply not feasible at the moment. I have no issue with software being kept at its current state, but am concerned that streaming services will cease to work. My ideal outcome would be that basic streaming connectivity (with Spotify etc) and local library access, continue to be supported on older products, and any other functionality can be left to expire as it becomes out of date. For Sonos, the upside is that much of the legacy equipment is used by the early adopters and enthusiasts and they’d make an informed decision to stick with the model I’ve mentioned. That shouldn’t result in mass support queries as changes occur.

The alternative is to provide deeper discounts based on system size and length of ownership.

This is something of a watershed moment for Sonos, handle it badly and it could damage the company’s reputation permanently.

Regards
Chris

D

Daddadoofus

Lyricist II

Here's a thought. Sonos has a high net worth customer base. How about we use our financial muscle to make them change this decision?

Ditch Sonos shares ( which are already crashing)

Perhaps then they will realise what loyalty means.

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