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Ryan S
Ryan S
Retired Sonos Staff
Jan 22, 2020 3:20 PM UTC

End of Software Support - Clarifications

  • Dec 8, 2022 11:29 AM UTC
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End of Software Support - Clarifications

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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    Sgm198
    Lyricist III
    Jan 25, 2020 10:02 AM UTC

    Looked at Roon, my god price put me right off and a subscription is needed. I'm not get caught again.

    Roon can send to Sonos speakers. $ 119/ year and it is suggested it can send to legacy and new, basically making a single network out of the split network. It needs to be seen whether that is the case but if it is then all the Sonos stuff remains working. IF it is the case then it may be a working solution. 
    It is used by a lot of genuine “high end”audio streaming manufacturers so is not fly by night and has had high reviews by reputable Audio magazines.

    Translate
      IJN
      Renowned Enthusiast I
      Jan 25, 2020 10:08 AM UTC

      The message from Patrick Spence is welcome but it beggars belief that a corporation the size of Sonos can get it this wrong. Very pleased to see that the Customer remains king! What has still not been addressed is the environmental impact of the still bricked returned units if I decide to upgrade at some stage. What is happening to these?

      Sadly the customer does not remain king. The message simply says we’re going to do what we said in the first place - stop updating software on your ‘legacy’ units (they might update bug/security aspects but they will potentially still stop working as soon as a streaming service updates its API). And if you want to keep using your legacy units while they last, they won’t interface with any new units you buy (or any “modern” units you own if you dare to update the software on them) - you will have to have two systems.

      But if you look at some media comments, there may be a glimmer of hope that, whatever may have been their original intention, they are saying the issue was the inability of older units to be updated with capacity hungry modern updates. If one can’t update, none can.  Therefore looking to split system for updates so each generation receives appropriate updates.  One comment says looking then to see if old and new can work together… but does say not sure if they can… look at my earlier posts and you can see the development/ reference points of these arguments.. If this can be made to work with newer units accessing new features but old ones like out from them, but all units working together when requirement is within their capability, then I’m as happy as I was before and will upgrade when I feel the need to have the newer features… If whole home grouping not possible, then I remain angry… 

      Translate
      will.gaskell
      Lyricist I
      Jan 25, 2020 10:10 AM UTC

      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 smacks of greed and deception in play. You have a big task ahead of you to earn back the trust of your current and, if any, future customers. I suspect there is a potential for a class action against Sonos in the way you have gone about selling your wares to so many consumers. Plenty of back pedalling required to avoid the strong threat of being sued especially by the litigious US community.

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      IJN
      Renowned Enthusiast I
      Jan 25, 2020 10:11 AM UTC

      @Patrick Spence

       

      Thanks for the update email, which fails to address the fundamental issue.

       

      Try listening again.

       

      THE LEGACY AND MODERN UNITS MUST CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER - NOT SPLIT SO THAT I CANNOT PLAY SYNCHRONISED MUSIC ACROSS MY HOME.

       

      Please go away and speak to your developers who will tell you how much effort this is, then come back once more to tell us it’s sorted.

      Look at my recent posts for media mentions that they may be looking at this… they say it may not work but its worth reiterating that if they get old/ new to patch together for whole home grouping, even if having to split for update purposes, then I’m happy once more

      Translate
        Irrigant
        Lyricist II
        Jan 25, 2020 10:14 AM UTC

        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 sucks big time!

        No more sonos for me..

        I have 2 Play 5 gen 1 and bought one play 1 for my dad

        Now they want me to throw away those at the local dump store with a lock in the so called trade in system… and give me a 30% discount… Thats not how you treat a costumer… And now when you also have gone together with ikea, do u think their customers will like it when they find out?!

        I will use this system til their not longer supported and then Bye Bye…

        Adios Sonos..

         

        Translate
          Erik 74
          Lyricist III
          Jan 25, 2020 10:16 AM UTC

          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

          I am so sorry. But damage done for me. I will run my ‘old’ products until they do not work any more. And then I will switch to a more sustainable system. We cannot in this day and age of focus on sustainability have products that are not supported after 5 years.

          Translate
            IJN
            Renowned Enthusiast I
            Jan 25, 2020 10:20 AM UTC

            It is unclear to me why it is necessary to insist that the SonosNet would have to be split or legacy systems and newer systems can't coexist together. I am a software developer, so my background is primarily software, not hardware, but taking a page out of something I've seen Azure do, why not have each device have a list of capabilities that it supports? Then, each feature that is supported has capabilities that it requires. It is simply then a matter of matching capabilities when a feature is executed.

             

            For example
            Play:5 Gen1, Capabilities: A, B, C

            Play:5 Gen2, Capabilities: A, B, C, D, E

             

            If I want to execute feature "D" (maybe Atmos?), then the app only shows "D" as the speaker that can be used. If I want to say, just listen to music off a network drive ("A"), then both are enabled for use (in the 'grouping' function).

            This is entirely obvious to anyone who works in technology and is indeed the sort of principle that’s woven throughout 99% of everything that’s plugged in to the internet. It’s the basic concept that allows a 10 year old smartphone and a brand new top end PC to access the same internet at the best level each can experience 

            The reasons Sonos are doing this are not technical, they’re business. I would imagine that there are plenty of technical staff at Sonos quietly raging about the situation the profiteering short term management have pushed them in to. 
             

            aT last, someone thinks like me!  I got aggressively shot down by a community member and called ridiculous for suggesting exactly this.  If you look at my posts, there are some media posts hinting that the issue has been caused by not all players being able to swallow the forthcoming software, thereby blocking updates if all can’t update.  Logical therefore to split software/ updates into groups.  There’s a hint that once software installed at appropriate levels, the speakers can again communicate within their capabilities.  If some new feature is out of reach of legacy unit, then for that feature, it can’t be grouped or is locked out.  Spence makes no promise it’ll work but says they are looking at it… so IF we can again have whole home grouping for current features (but perhaps not for say Hi-res), and old speakers are supported at their current level, then I’m happy once more. Upto me if and when I then upgrade legacy speakers...

            Translate
              PabloPaul1
              Lyricist I
              Jan 25, 2020 10:20 AM UTC

              No one is listening to the people who got Sonos to where they are today - the customer.

              30% trade in is an insult

              Sonos have badly got this wrong. If I could trade in my sonos with Bose, that would be my first choice. 

              Translate
              Erik 74
              Lyricist III
              Jan 25, 2020 10:21 AM UTC

              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 sucks big time!

              No more sonos for me..

              I have 2 Play 5 gen 1 and bought one play 1 for my dad

              Now they want me to throw away those at the local dump store with a lock in the so called trade in system… and give me a 30% discount… Thats not how you treat a costumer… And now when you also have gone together with ikea, do u think their customers will like it when they find out?!

              I will use this system til their not longer supported and then Bye Bye…

              Adios Sonos..

               

              Completely agree. I have 3 old 5s and an old bridge. And 2 new 5s, 2 new 1s, a new soundbar and a new sub. So have made a big investment (for me). I will  run it until it does not work anymore but NO way I buy another product!

              Translate
                Irrigant
                Lyricist II
                Jan 25, 2020 10:23 AM UTC

                Join me… Go to your Local IKEA and print out the info to share with others and use facebook!!!

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