Retired Sonos Staff

End of Software Support - Clarifications

Dec 8, 2022 11:29 AM UTC
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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

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Show previous replies

S

Shalamander

Lyricist I

We spent more than £1500 on Sonos Speakers. To hear they will not receive Updates and Security fixes from now on and will eventually never work is a complete and utter disgrace. To the Sonos Management - I liked the quality, the sound, the multi room flexibility, I am a satisfied customer. You have now lost my loyalty and support. As a result, I will never spend any more money on your products. You have lost me as a customer.

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acmishcon

Lyricist II

“SONOS REVERSES COURSE, AGREES TO SUPPORT LEGACY UNITS AFTER COMMUNITY OUTRAGE” (please!)

Well, that’s my dream. Please Sonos, make that your message, and then tell us some new features won’t make it to our legacy systems. Got it. Understandable. It’s not much off where we’re at now. Just a different view on how you handle your formerly very loyal community. Make it happen quickly.

Or all of us in just about the same place will find another solution.

Expensive upgrades and bricks are not the solution.

Listen Sonos, please listen ...

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T

topiary

Lyricist I

Just found out that Sonos are going to make my Sonos 5, Sonos 3 and my Sonos 1’s obsolete!!!. Future software updates will not cover these devices and any current devices will not be able to be connected. I have spent over £1800 on Sonos products since 2011 and have been one of the brands most fervent supporters. I estimate having recommend the system to over 10 others I’ve the years. If my loyalty is being rewarded this way I’ll be taking my future business elsewhere.

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andy_120

Enthusiast II

This doesn’t explain why speakers that play music now won’t be able to music in the future. I understand why they won’t have additionally features; but, this doesn’t explain at all why music won’t be able to be played.

They will be able to play music in the future!

I’m affected by this news (4 out of 6 zones are ‘legacy’) and wholeheartedly agree the announcement was incredibly badly handled, that the forced creation of e-waste is abhorrent, the splitting of zones into ‘legacy’ and ‘modern’ networks negates half the reason for owning a Sonos system and that the 30% ‘upgrade’ discount isn’t enough, but this thread is becoming more and more hyperbolic!

No one’s equipment is suddenly being ‘bricked’ and the share price, while falling, is not ‘sinking faster than the titanic’. By all means continue to voice displeasure, it might have an affect, but at the moment its hard to see past the melodrama and people patting themselves on the back for lowering a company’s score from 4/5 to 1/5 in various places. Why would anyone from Sonos come on here to comment currently? - nothing constructive would come of it.

Who’s side are you on? if they don’t positively respond soon they’re a bigger bunch of morons than we all believe them to be already. All these comments are going global, not just here.

Hear hear,

really melodrama!!! I brought into sonos that I could expand the system, nowhere did it say in the small print that a minimum EOL of 5 years would apply. My 10 year iPhone although no longer supported still works, my windows 7 computer still works. A year after may will my sonos work as now NO I think not

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B

Blueshound

Lyricist II

I looked up old Spence on LinkedIn seems that he used to work at Research in Motion. You know the company that invented the Blackberry devices. He worked there for quite a long time, probably learned how to destroy a perfectly good company there. Seems he learned very well. Blackberry was The only mobile smart phone at the time before the iPhone. Everyone had to have a Blackberry device. Now look at them. Bankruptcy, suing everyone trying to stay relevant.

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SirDigitalKnight

Enthusiast I

The whole 30% upgrade thing is a joke especially when it doesn't even let me upgrade since I moved my Sonos gear out of the USA and into Colombia, not that I could even afford to make the upgrade even with the 30% (which is really only 10%) discount :-(

I have been searching and researching what might be the best solution to replace Sonos with.

Hopefully Bluetooth LE will make this change from Sonos to another system less painful and less costly

https://thenextweb.com/plugged/2020/01/07/bluetooths-new-standard-will-support-streaming-to-multiple-devices/

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augustwest

Enthusiast II

I have given 1 star reviews to previous purchases on AMAZON. Ending support after 5 years is ludicrous. It means you don’t own the stuff you buy. I will join a lawsuit against SONOS when one happens.

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M

MrDave77

Trending Lyricist I

Also,

This trade up nonsense they are offering.

It’s a bit like buying a new car and agreeing to your old one being smashed up so you can’t sell it.

Im sorry, but anyone contemplating this needs to have a word with themselves. Don’t willingly be ripped off.

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A

augustwest

Enthusiast II

This doesn’t explain why speakers that play music now won’t be able to music in the future. I understand why they won’t have additionally features; but, this doesn’t explain at all why music won’t be able to be played.

They will be able to play music in the future!

I’m affected by this news (4 out of 6 zones are ‘legacy’) and wholeheartedly agree the announcement was incredibly badly handled, that the forced creation of e-waste is abhorrent, the splitting of zones into ‘legacy’ and ‘modern’ networks negates half the reason for owning a Sonos system and that the 30% ‘upgrade’ discount isn’t enough, but this thread is becoming more and more hyperbolic!

No one’s equipment is suddenly being ‘bricked’ and the share price, while falling, is not ‘sinking faster than the titanic’. By all means continue to voice displeasure, it might have an affect, but at the moment its hard to see past the melodrama and people patting themselves on the back for lowering a company’s score from 4/5 to 1/5 in various places. Why would anyone from Sonos come on here to comment currently? - nothing constructive would come of it.

Who’s side are you on? if they don’t positively respond soon they’re a bigger bunch of morons than we all believe them to be already. All these comments are going global, not just here.

Hear hear,

really melodrama!!! I brought into sonos that I could expand the system, nowhere did it say in the small print that a minimum EOL of 5 years would apply. My 10 year iPhone although no longer supported still works, my windows 7 computer still works. A year after may will my sonos work as now NO I think not

True, I use old iPhones for home video security purposes. It has saved me some coin and given new life to something I don’t use anymore.

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P

Pegasus

Lyricist I

After spending thousands on eight pieces of Sonos equipment, have now been told three are no longer going to be updated, and will not be able to play music throughout the house anymore. That is the main reason people buy this expensive equipment!
Not impressed at all. Before that they rendered my £100 dock unusable too. Just packing up two Sonos speakers to return to Amazon under their 30 day returns policy. I will never spend another penny on Sonos again. I hope your company goes bust, because that’s what you deserve with your corporate greed.

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