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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mdf380

Lyricist I

I do find it interesting that Sonos are not saying anything. No sign of contrition or apology. They really dont seem to give a s**t.

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Peter_263

Contributor I

Seems like Sonos have lost a lot of customers. I have 4 speakers currently and will be looking to replace them with another brand going forward. The 30% discount is a joke, especially as I need to fork out another £50 on a mounting bracket on top of the new speaker.

Play 3 was not far behind the original Play 5 release, so do we expect that to face the same fate soon?

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macallan18

Enthusiast I

I do find it interesting that Sonos are not saying anything. No sign of contrition or apology. They really dont seem to give a s**t.

The CEO tried to fake it. He acknowledged they got everything wrong, then reiterated what everyone was upset about.

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macallan18

Enthusiast I

How to destroy a brand in one easy go. You had real loyal customers and whoever made this decision just doesn’t seem to care 30% discount what a joke.

Agree - 50% discount shares the “pain” of upgrading a lot more equitably.

I think they meant to say we have to pay 30%. It is an easy mistake to make. They will come around to it, 70% discount for trade in. ;)

Joking aside, sonos before this CEO and IPO would have done it. They gave me a 45% off coupon after a few support calls.

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bonervz

Enthusiast II

other than breaking the deafening silence of the first ~48 hrs, and an acknowledgement that “we hear you” this is the only valuable part of CEO’s message to me:

“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.”

Until there are details on this, I don’t think the community will let up pressure and no one will be buying anything or “trading up”. The two-separate-systems initially vaguely suggested won’t be seen as any solution, there must be some SW integration that at least makes these usable in a single system.

So how will this split system work with my paired play 5’s (legacy) + Sub (not legacy)….. it wont!

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Sonos from leader to loser in 2020.

A

andyman234

Lyricist I

I’ve bought easily over a thousand dollars worth of your products, which are well made and will probably last for some time. But now you’re telling me that all my Sonos products have an expiration date before they break from regular wear and tear!? So basically when I buy speakers from Sonos, I’m essentially leasing them for a limited amount of time? I’m pretty sure I would have considered myself a loyal client of Sonos, but now I will no longer buy Sonos products nor will I recommend them to friends and family (I have at least 3 or 4 family/friends who have bought Sonos on my recommendation).

Good work guys (I said sarcastically).

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G

Goodbye Sonos

Enthusiast II

other than breaking the deafening silence of the first ~48 hrs, and an acknowledgement that “we hear you” this is the only valuable part of CEO’s message to me:

“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.”

Until there are details on this, I don’t think the community will let up pressure and no one will be buying anything or “trading up”. The two-separate-systems initially vaguely suggested won’t be seen as any solution, there must be some SW integration that at least makes these usable in a single system.

So how will this split system work with my paired play 5’s (legacy) + Sub (not legacy)….. it wont!

Exactly…. it will not work…. you just lost your system

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E

ewolkoff

Enthusiast II

Thanks Danny. No I did not get an email telling me my Connect:Amp is a legacy product. I read the Sonos announcement which included the Connect: Amp in the legacy list. I’m confused - how do I tell?

This changes things. If you have a play/pause button on the front it’s a post-2015 connect:amp with 256mb of memory (8x the pre-2015 Connect:amp). You are still modern/will get software updates. They were selling these through 2018 or early 2019, so under their policy, you’ll be supported until at least 2023.

Not true. My connect Amps have a play pause button, but are all listed as legacy.

They look like this? With that symbol on the play/pause button? Are you in the US?

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bonervz

Enthusiast II

other than breaking the deafening silence of the first ~48 hrs, and an acknowledgement that “we hear you” this is the only valuable part of CEO’s message to me:

“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.”

Until there are details on this, I don’t think the community will let up pressure and no one will be buying anything or “trading up”. The two-separate-systems initially vaguely suggested won’t be seen as any solution, there must be some SW integration that at least makes these usable in a single system.

So how will this split system work with my paired play 5’s (legacy) + Sub (not legacy)….. it wont!

Exactly…. it will not work…. you just lost your system

And to expand on that…

So, the play 1 is also done, replaced by the One on October 24, 2017. So by all accounts mentioned here, in 2-1/2 years it will become legacy (5 years after it was discontinued).
Now, there is something to cheer me up.

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Sonos from leader to loser in 2020.

User884294

Avid Contributor I

I’ve been an avid evangelistic customer since 2005.

When competitive lines offered greater functionality (Home Theatre Setup ATMOS etc.) I’ve stuck with SONOS because I felt part of something big. I felt SONOS was about quality kit and a great customer rapport with its loyal fan base. Allowing me to easily justify big financial expenses in buying SONOS products.

I’ve had nearly every single product line that’s come out. I still have my SONOS speakers hooked up (yes remember them, actual speakers) which I bought back in 2005.

I currently have 12 zones online (four zones offline, ZP100 x 2 and ZP120 x 2) the offline zones are earmarked for ceililng speakers in renovations across our home. Which include bathrooms and living room.

So today and on reflection of the recent legacy scandal, coupled with how I feel as a loyal customer, I have a choice to make.

And the decision has been made, I will not purchase another single bit of SONOS kit. Today I am no longer an ‘avid evangelistic customer’. So I'm moving on and this is how I will do it:

Formulate a plan to phase out our large collection of SONOS products in our home. Through selling each item quickly to finance a competitive ecosystem. The quicker this is done the more value my SONOS products hold.
Quickly start purchasing said new ecosystem to satisfy renovation needs.

I’m disappointed but actually feel a little relieved that I’ve made this decision after investing so much money and energy in the last 15 years with SONOS.

Lastly, proponents will defend to the hilt what SONOS are doing, however SONOS should not take refuge behind such defence. Any one with a decent bit of common sense will realise from forums posts and social media natterings across the interwebs that SONOS have fumbled massively. Couple this with the advent of cheaper devices from companies with much bigger financial clout such as Amazon and Google means this is truly the beginning of the end of SONOS.

I wish everyone the best.

Kind regards

M

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