Retired Sonos Staff

End of Software Support - Clarifications

December 8, 2022 at 11:29 AM
4256 replies
269599 views

We announced yesterday that some of our oldest Sonos products will be moving into a legacy mode in May of 2020. Our commitment is to support products with regular software updates for a minimum of five years after we stop selling them, and we have a track record of supporting products far longer.

Here is some public information we’ve shared, gathered into one place to respond to some of your questions in one easy thread, so that people can find the correct information easily.

Beginning in May, software updates and new features from Sonos will only be delivered to systems with only modern products.

After May, systems that include legacy products will continue to work as before - but they will no longer receive software updates or new features.

Sonos will work to maintain the existing experience and conduct bug fixes, but our efforts will ultimately be limited by the lack of memory and processing power of these legacy products.

We don’t expect any immediate impact to your experience, but access to services and overall functionality will eventually be disrupted, particularly as partners evolve their own services and features.

Customers with both legacy and modern products have time to decide what option is best for them. You can continue to use your whole system in legacy mode - in this case, it will stop receiving updates and new features.

You will also be able to separate your legacy products from your modern products, so that the modern products can still receive updates and new features, and legacy products can still be used separately. We’ll have more information on how to do this in May when you can take that action.

Another option available to all customers with legacy products is to take advantage of the Trade Up program, which allows you to upgrade older Sonos products to modern ones with a 30% discount. Trade Up will be open to customers at any time should they decide to upgrade.

We recognize this is new for Sonos owners, just as it is for Sonos. We are committed to help you by making options available to you to support the best decision for your home.

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate with asking.

Update 2/22: A message from our CEO

We heard you. We did not get this right from the start. My apologies for that and I wanted to personally assure you of the path forward:

First, rest assured that come May, when we end new software updates for our legacy products, they will continue to work as they do today. We are not bricking them, we are not forcing them into obsolescence, and we are not taking anything away. Many of you have invested heavily in your Sonos systems, and we intend to honor that investment for as long as possible. While legacy Sonos products won’t get new software features, we pledge to keep them updated with bug fixes and security patches for as long as possible. If we run into something core to the experience that can’t be addressed, we’ll work to offer an alternative solution and let you know about any changes you’ll see in your experience.

Secondly, we heard you on the issue of legacy products and modern products not being able to coexist in your home. We are working on a way to split your system so that modern products work together and get the latest features, while legacy products work together and remain in their current state. We’re finalizing details on this plan and will share more in the coming weeks.

While we have a lot of great products and features in the pipeline, we want our customers to upgrade to our latest and greatest products when they’re excited by what the new products offer, not because they feel forced to do so. That’s the intent of the trade up program we launched for our loyal customers.

Thank you for being a Sonos customer. Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. I hope that you’ll forgive our misstep, and let us earn back your trust. Without you, Sonos wouldn’t exist and we’ll work harder than ever to earn your loyalty every single day.

If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Patrick Spence
CEO, Sonos

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

M

Morgan76

Lyricist I

Just want to express my displeasure with the rest of you!

I own 6 units that are soon obsolete. This is the wrong decision that contributes to climate change.

I don't want to have to throw away fully functioning things.

I thought Sonos was built to last! This is at least what your marketing has got me to Believe:

"An ecosystem that you can grow year after year ..."

I urge SONOS to reconsider and the rest of you to spread your thoughts on this everywhere.

A falling stock price might do the trick.

Shame on you!

L

Loose Moose

Lyricist II

Wow. This is shocking. I have spent thousands on 9 Connect:Amps that will now become obsolete. 30% off to upgrade? That is a joke. I would need 75% off to stick with Sonos. Like many others I will abandon Sonos for a longer term solution. Sonos wake up! Right now hundreds of millions of dollars of Goodwill is evaporating in front of your eyes. Textbook disaster. This is the beginning of the end of Sonos - makes me sad.

C

cosmo35166

Enthusiast I

Sonos needs a new Public Relations department, what Bonehead would let an Email like I received go out? Did you really think I’m spending another +$1000.00 on more potential future bricks? Your supposed to be Software kings, just individualize the software updates for Legacy/Non-Legacy. Then when my Legacy dies, I’ll take the 30% discount and upgrade. Recycle? Let me ask “Greta” about that at Davos. Oh and for the shareholders like me; “You are cordially invited to attend the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Sonos, Inc. The Annual Meeting will be held at 614 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 on February 27, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.”

T

T-S2

Contributor I

Maybe Sonos should do like Adobe and start a rental service instead?

M

matthew.bacon

Lyricist III

This new thread didn’t clarify the most important points I had read in the previous thread. Answer these please...

Will future controller apps and pc based software continue to work with legacy systems? (with existing functionality)
Can Legacy and Modern speakers be grouped together?
Will legacy systems allow other legacy speakers to be added after May?
Will you allow hardware with various versions of Sonos OS to work side by side on a single Sonos network?
I mainly use a NAS with my Sonos and rarely use streaming services. Will I still be able to do this after May?

Sonos do not delete the other thread.

MAscooby

Trending Lyricist I

You will also be able to separate your legacy products from your modern products, so that the modern products can still receive updates and new features, and legacy products can still be used separately. We’ll have more information on how to do this in May when you can take that action.

You missed out a vital point, does this mean the legacy and modern will be interoperable? Or completely seperate? I am fine with my legacy speakers not getting updates, but I want my modern speakers to get updates and new features. I then EXEPCT to be still able to group music between legacy and modern.

This is the main issue on the table! I have 26 SONOS devices, 16 of which are “legacy”. If you tell me I have to separate them out, then you gave failed in your mission, and why I purchased $10k of equipment from you… to have Whole House Audio.

@David_366 and @morgan4x4, these legacy devices are stretched to the limits of their hardware already. Where possible, we will work to maintain the existing experience and conduct bug fixes on the legacy devices where the computing hardware will allow.

@Ryan S ^^^ this is the biggest issue. It’s why I’m in the “Not one more dime to Sonos” camp, and (with no small measure of embarrassment) vocally and actively retracting my recommendations to friends and family.

The fact that the basic (although I know that’s a simplification) and core (not an overstatement at all) ability to simultaneously broadcast music across multiple speakers is being blocked on older devices is ridiculous.

From a technical perspective, there has to be some way to maintain that core functionality across these devices, even if that’s when and only when they’re grouped with modern, more powerful devices, or even a new “hub” of some sort that handles more powerful computing and simply “shares” the digital bits (music) to older, legacy devices.

Given such a model, failing to update legacy devices (except, perhaps, for security issues) would be fine. But the fact that I can’t even stream music to them and newer devices at the same time?

Nope.

pwt

Virtuoso

Apart from anything else this new thread still doesn’t address the issue of what is being done where people own components where there AREN’T any options which we can “Tradeup” to!

I rely on the “Bridge” to fill the gaps in their woeful built-in wifi, and the “Connect” to be able to integrate Sonos with my livingroom Surround Sound setup.

The Boost is the new version of the Bridge, and the Port is the new version of the Connect (but isn’t as good).

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

A

attacama40

Headliner I

This new thread didn’t clarify the most important points I had read in the previous thread. Answer these please...

Will future controller apps and pc based software continue to work with legacy systems? (with existing functionality)
Can Legacy and Modern speakers be grouped together?
Will legacy systems allow other legacy speakers to be added after May?
Will you allow hardware with various versions of Sonos OS to work side by side on a single Sonos network?
I mainly use a NAS with my Sonos and rarely use streaming services. Will I still be able to do this after May?

Sonos do not delete the other thread.

Mirrors my concerns although do also use streaming

J

joelovero

Lyricist II

How is the solution to tell people for every $1,000 of Sonos Legacy equipment, an additional $700 will keep you good for an undetermined period of time? Who came up with that plan? Our investment in legacy products built your company.

There are folks who have spent $10,000 on Sonos Equipment in here that you’re telling to go spend $7,000 now to keep using their equipment? How is this considered acceptable? Who is going to recommend your products? Again, I bought my Connect in 2017. I had no idea to check the manufactured date. Now I need a Port at 70% of the retail cost? I’ll have spent over $700 on a Connect and Port in 2 years. That’s ludicrous.

M

Mark Renfrow

Contributor II

That Sonos. is the sound of screeching brakes on all new purchases from legacy owners. I’ll wait and see how this all pans out before buying any more and begin to shop for a new “system” while I wait.

If I am going to have two incompatible systems anyway, i’ll find a better company for my second one.

Show more replies

Sign up

Login to the community