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 The information contained in this thread is outdated and may no longer be accurate.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

Trending Lyricist I

From the risk section of their last 10Q filing: To remain competitive and stimulate consumer demand, we must successfully manage frequent new product introductions and transitions. Due to the highly volatile and competitive nature of the home audio and broader consumer electronics industry, we must frequently introduce new products, enhance existing products and effectively stimulate customer demand for new and upgraded products in both mature and developing markets. The successful introduction of our new products depends on a number of factors, such as the timely completion of development efforts to correspond with limited windows for market introduction. In recent years, we have experienced delays in bringing new products to market, along with higher-than-expected costs in doing so. We face significant challenges in managing the risks associated with new product introductions and production ramp-up issues, including accurately forecasting initial consumer demand, as well as the risk that new products may have quality or other defects in the early stages of introduction. New and upgraded products can also affect the sales and profitability of existing products. In addition, from time to time, we enter into strategic alliances or collaborative partnerships with third parties to develop, commercialize and market new products, which may not be successful or result in significant revenues. Accordingly, if we cannot properly manage the introduction of our new products, our operating results and financial condition may be adversely impacted, particularly if the cadence of new product introductions increases as we expect. I guess trying to force everyone onto a newer platform is one way of trying to stimulate customer demand. Of course I would say it probably wasn’t the best way to go about it.

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KLiQ

Contributor I

Disappointed with this news. Apparently so are all the people I recommended SONOS to that are emailing me today complaining about it.

don’t provide an update to an older model, fine. but don’t block updates for newly purchased speakers because we choose to replace them one at a time. :rolling_eyes:

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ianbroome

Lyricist II

Just had a look on the Sonos website… I couldn't be bothered reading further after I saw the proclamation of TRUST, ACCOUNTABILITY and COLLABORATION. they all are sub headings under the page heading RESPONSIBILITY. If you want to find the page, click on the link called SUSTAINABILITY under their main menu…..

Who thinks any of their blurb is sincere?

Does any of it have substance… ?

Unbelievable isn’t it.

Such a shame.

Yes. Completely unbelievable.

That’s what happens when you spend a fortune on web design. They could not care less about us. They got my $5,000 and now they are focusing on to a new generation of suckers to scam.

I couldn’t agree more! We should all send e-mails, press statements, etc to warn the unsuspecting public about Sonos customer relations. They suck!

M

morgan4x4

Enthusiast II

I haven’t read the whole thread, but assume this may have already been posted?

Obviously not suggesting any link to the current announcement.

Sonos Product Manager sells some of his shares

Sonos - you really are shooting yourselves in the foot with this announcement and lack of legacy support. Suggesting that I can have a discount to spend well over £1000 on Sonos kit to keep it working as it does now (some of which is running through excellent hifi kit which is still manufacturer supported despite it being well over 30 years old) - really? You’ve got to be kidding guys.

The link looks pretty clear cut.

I doubt it. This was a scheduled trade, a common practice for executive insiders so that they can trade legally around SEC blackout dates.

https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/stocks/sono/insider-activity

Fair enough. This much is true though…

almost 9,000,000 shares sold versus 100,000 purchased by insiders in past 12 mo - what does that say?

arcadelt

Enthusiast I

Sorry if this has been asked and answered:

I understand if I have a mixed system of legacy and modern, after the May update it will no longer receive updates and future features will not be supported. After the May update can I still add new products to my legacy/mixed system, like a Move? Would the Move software roll back to my May software?
If I have a legacy system after the May update can I add more legacy devices without issue?
If I have a mixed system after the May update can I split it into two separate systems, legacy and modern, or do I need to do that before the May update?
If I have a mixed system after the May update, can I remove a modern device and add it to a modern system without issue.
If I have separate modern and legacy systems in my home I assume they will use separate versions of the app. Will there be any conflict running two different app versions on the same mobile device?

It this point what we know is this:

You will not be able to add a new product much after May, because it is likely that it comes factory installed with a later version of the OS than you are running on your legacy system. If you want a move, buy it before May.
This will be an interesting one, especially since there will probably be a proliferation of that stuff on eBay, etc. It depend if Sonos lock your entire system into just one version, or if they allow for update up to the last version your system will support. If the former, then NO; if the latter, then YES.
I imagine you will able to do that at any time, because one you split the system, then your new stuff will start updating again, never being able to return to the old system.
YES.
I don’t think anyone knows. It is possible that you will only be able to install one app (you can’t have two at he moment), in which case it might be backwards compatible, and you can only control the features available in the legacy system when connected to that, and can control everything when controlling your newer system.

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RickInHouston1

Trending Lyricist I

Rasberry Pi, high res here I come. Im not standing for this. Playbar, 5 connects, 3 amps, 2 play5s, 2 play...

I think I was the first person to buy a Sonos. At least I feel like it.

R

RickInHouston1

Trending Lyricist I

I'm done. So done.

I think I was the first person to buy a Sonos. At least I feel like it.

R

rmctc

Lyricist I

Dear Sonos,

If there’s a better way to ruin your reputation as a company that cares about its clients and the environment, I can’t think of what it is. I have 6 Sonos components, three of which are about to become “legacy” bricks because you say so. I hope that is some kind of horrible April fools day joke that you accidentally released a few months early.

It’s really hard to imagine how you’re going to fix this without some serious reassurances to your customers that this was all some terrible mistake that will never happen again. You are planning on fixing this, right?

S

shonasdaddy

Enthusiast I

i suggest anyone looking to keep their speakers should crowd fund the development of their own app that will allow them to take control of their own speakers that they own

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BarryF

Lyricist I

This is a disgrace. I have over $6,000 invested in Sonos and you can bet not a penny more.

Im in the IT business and I can share that backwards compatibility is the way to delight your customers and ensure they will continue to buy your products.

Im hard pressed to believe that this approach is the ONLY way Sonos can continue to upgrade their products.

In very short order, I expect Amazon will release a competitive product and/or others (IE Bose) will offer a compelling competitive discount

This is a lesson for the business schools - How to destroy you company!

Barry

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