Retired Sonos Staff

End of Software Support - Clarifications

December 8, 2022 at 11:29 AM
4256 replies
269654 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

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J

Johnnydot

Enthusiast 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.

With all due respect Ryan, and we know you are trying your hardest ….

But it’s time now for Patrick to stand up, and put out a definitive announcement on here, as to what is going to happen.

In that announcement, there are two basic options, one of which will be retracting the crazy ill thought out idea of legacy, and then suggest a plan to keep all of the legacy equipment fully operational (with no loss of current functionality), and hence a chance of keep customers.

The other option, will be to continue with the legacy plans, wave goodbye to the existing 37% of repeat customers (as there is no way they will buy any more equipment), and totally destroy future sales to new customers, as they will rapidly be aware of the bad press, Its’ already on the BBC here in the UK.

Easy.

A stand alone box of chips with an ethernet cable, like a raspberry pi, could have as much memory as NASA, a wifi chip, like IKEA sonos speakers, and ethernet in/out sockets to connect between router and 'legacy' equipment. This wee box could sort the memory/processing needs for 50 quid, or put a sonos badge on it and charge 200! !LOL LOL lol ha ha ha .

I have no doubt you know what you’re talking about here, but there are other costs to consider besides the cost of parts. It does need to be developed, tested, manufacturer, and supported to a limited number of customers that very well may be insulted that you are asking for them to pay for it at cost or even that they have to use it all. I may be wrong, but since Sonos hasn’t created the device you’re wanting, it seems reasonable to assume it’s not the slam dunk solution you’re imagining it is.

Im not suggesting it a slam dunk but a stand alone chipset in a box, could fix the memory/pricessing. The ikeha speakers are still gonna update, theyre not 'legacy'(yet lol). The software my P5s cant handle is for voice control which they dont use, cant use and i dont want and multiple streaming services. I dont need EVERY streaming service. Who does? sonos are taking the piss. They should at least allow extra memory to be able to sync any okd sonos gear together in a raspberry pi or allow electronics firms to build non-sonos connectors. Put a sonos badge on it & overcharge us 30% off!LOL

L

lukeshoey

Lyricist III

This announcement is having a significant impact on online reviews, and rightly so. https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.sonos.com

C

CharlesElliott

Lyricist II

Trade Up does not appear to be what you would expect either.

If I select a Play 5 (Gen 1) to Trade Up, the only speaker option it gives me is the Move. There isn’t an option to trade up to a Play:5 or any other Play speaker.

robinm0

Enthusiast I

One of the attractions of Sonos WAS its support for older hardware; of course, you expect, eventually, that some items will just no longer be capable of running current software and so will be gently phased out. But this is brutal. To commit a form of commercial suicide by announcing that the thousand of pounds spent on speakers, which will be turned into bricks that won’t fetch even a decent price on the 2nd-hand market, has been wasted, is beyond belief.

The likely outcome is that Sonos’ brand will be permanently blighted, sales will fall and the company will fail, creating even more waste as not even the ‘modern’ units will work.

That is, of course, unless there is still somebody sensible left in the company’s management.

T

texasraider

Lyricist III

I think it boils down to the 30% off on trade-in is wayyyyyyy too low. It should be dollar to dollar but I think 70-80% would be reasonable.

G

Garbagepail

Been a user since the beginning. Purely coincidental but over the weekend, i realized how much i had invested in Sonos and am still steamed over the privacy policy issues. So i decided to begin making my break. Purchased a 12 zone whole house audio solution that i will hard wire and integrate powered speakers as well. I will still use a couple of Connects for convenience while waiting for other streaming and library alternatives. All this will reduce by dependency on Sonos to 800$ or less- a manageable sum.

Ive noticed my system getting less and less responsive over time so perhaps this is because of the issues Sonos cites on the legacy products. When i purchased them, streaming wasn't an option and it was nice that they added the feature. Their software design team and the manner in which they add features is folly though. There should be lots more flexibility so mixed system users can add only the features they want so the older products are capable. All electronics wear out and i would have been delighted to upgrade at that time. But to be greeted with an in your face email much like the earlier privacy one is simply a bridge too far. My timing was lucky and in a few months, i will have shrunk my Sonos footprint to a minimum. Less convenient but more control-seems like a good trade.

Wish i was in the groupthink meeting that resulted in this policy. It’s only 10 pct of the units guys-no big deal. Yeah except these were you most loyal customers. I learned my lesson. Something tells me they haven't.

A

andyd1302

Enthusiast II

Another early adopter of Sonos here, and how embarrassing the number of mates I have promoted Sonos to!

We helped build your Company, and this is what you do.

I won't be walking past the Bose stand anymore feeling superior. This is a disgrace and offering a 30% discount is below contempt.

John Lewis say they are never knowingly undersold, but they must be having a pang of conscience selling me a Sonos unit in 2015 to find it “Legacy”, less than 5 years later. Add that to the other 5 legacy products I have, and I like many on here feel cheated.

I think all reputable resellers should think long and hard about this, and should they continue to sell Sonos products, be forced to put a notice near the product explaining that support may be arbitrarily withdrawn in the future, rendering the product susceptible to obsolescence.

Sonos surely must have known this kind of shoddy practice would backfire on them big time.

It smacks of a CEO asserting ‘authority’ on the customer by arrogantly assuming Joe Public is so swooning of Sonos they’ll swallow any old baloney to keep them loyal, but as others have said there’s now a multitude of other companies doing similar products for a less extortionate price.

On a personal level, after finally managing to get Plex working on Sonos (to get around the 65,000 limit Sonos were forced to admit existed), to now get the e-mail saying that all my Sonos equipment is ‘legacy’ & offering a derisory discount toward more equipment which can be rendered near-obsolete by e-mail as some kind of mistaken attempt at compensation, is the final nail in the Sonos coffin.

10 Years ago Sonos was the only player in town.

Not any longer, but I hope the CEO takes a long, hard look at the posts here to appreciate the level of mistrust loyal Sonos customers now feel towards the company.

A

AP2050

Lyricist III

It’s funny, Bluetooth sounds way more compelling now. At least it’s a universal standard that won’t brick my speakers

R

Ralpfocus

Prodigy III

Something had to happen due to the age of some of the products - that was inevitable and let’s be clear at some stage more products will become “legacy”. I am far from happy but have waited 24 hours to try and be measured.

The limitations of the older products was always going to present a major problem to moving forward and the Sonos business model is slightly broken (Sonos is not the only company with this problem). The problem is a) that the market demands that you continue to enhance the product line capabilities but this can only be funded by the sale of new product; mainly because we have not yet reached a point where the consumer is prepared to “rent” the product and b) to develop the product means that sooner or later it will not be possible to retro fit such enhancements into legacy equipment.

There are ways forward and Sonos have made an attempt to mitigate the inevitable. Sadly you have fallen short in the mitigation and have made a mess of the communication. When the dust settles it could have a major impact of the company.

My own take on the solution is that you should have provided a software version for the legacy that would continue to provide the service as is today. This version could have been updated with the minor tweeks necessary to keep existing APIs working with third parties should they be modified. The software of the modern devices would be changed to recognise legacy and not ask them to do something they are not capable to do. It is possible that this might have forced more current devices into legacy but provides for a long term working model that could contain a number of legacy versions. And whilst it means there would be multiple code bases it would not be the normal issue of multiple code bases because the legacy code base(s) would only need very minor modification for third party API change. Others have suggested similar approaches. Undoubtedly this would have still created ire but it would have been a much more sustainable position that the one Sonos find themselves in. Modern devices would continue to develop and for some people the newer features would result in additional purchases and replacements of legacy and thus revenue stream.

I recognise that this solution falls into the area of Sonos having to spend money with potentially little return but the alternative might be even worse with overall reducing revenues.

I guess lots of calculations have been done on the impact to the business and revenue streams but reputational risk is inordinately difficult to assess. The competition is catching up and not withstanding your lawsuit with Google (and then Amazon?) real alternatives to Sonos are a coming.

I’m not sure Sonos have done a full Gerald Ratner but they have come dangerously close.

The decision needs to be rethought and an end to end solution communicated. The current position of further information will come in May is a running sore for the next 4 months that will do the business no good.

One third of my Sonos environment classified as legacy (the most expensive third) the remaining two thirds likely to be in the next round. Planned further spend this year is now on hold. Recommending Sonos also on hold (and I know of some who bought solely because of recommendation). If however Sonos implement something similar to the above solution then the recommendations would be even stronger

A

Andy3003

Lyricist I