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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K

kassey22000

Enthusiast II

... For some of us who want to just purchase a few newer Connect or Connect Amps so we can get past this May shut-out/forced obsolesce/split system issue, There may be some economical options out there instead of the reduced functionality (and stupid expense) of the Amp and Port or the environmental disaster of the “trade-in” program. Of course Sonos isn’t clear about how much longer their so-called (Modern) units will be supported either...

@kassey22000, I know it’s buried several times in the pages of this thread and others, but we’ve committed to supporting our products with updates for at least five years after they’re no longer sold by us, after they’ve been discontinued. And as you all know, we have a track record of doing so for much longer than that. The 2015 Connect and Connect:Amps are only recently no longer sold, or in some cases still available at very limited stock levels. So you’re looking at at least five years worth of updates from when they were discontinued.

Hey Ryan, thanks for your reply and I hope you are feeling better.

Hey is there a way to tell by serial number or MAC address which components are recent (Connects that have had the memory/performance update?) That would really help folks selling/buying used (or even left-over inventory at retailers)? These would have that increased performance that will help them behave better in the system/Sonosnet (words from Sonos support regarding trading out an old ZP90 for one built last year). Is using the icon on the volume rocker enough?

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D

Danos1

Trending Lyricist I

So are we done getting updates till May?

@Danos1, assuming you mean software updates, there probably are a few more to come to all devices before the legacy changeover in May.

Good to know, but I meant from Sonos about how they are going to handle this situation post CEO email. Many are still upset after the CEO’s Email because he said he heard us but didn't acknowledge that customers are angry about having to split their older systems or stop receiving feature updates for their newer systems. Will we have to wait till May till we hear more?

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Ryan SAuthor

Retired Sonos Staff

... For some of us who want to just purchase a few newer Connect or Connect Amps so we can get past this May shut-out/forced obsolesce/split system issue, There may be some economical options out there instead of the reduced functionality (and stupid expense) of the Amp and Port or the environmental disaster of the “trade-in” program. Of course Sonos isn’t clear about how much longer their so-called (Modern) units will be supported either...

@kassey22000, I know it’s buried several times in the pages of this thread and others, but we’ve committed to supporting our products with updates for at least five years after they’re no longer sold by us, after they’ve been discontinued. And as you all know, we have a track record of doing so for much longer than that. The 2015 Connect and Connect:Amps are only recently no longer sold, or in some cases still available at very limited stock levels. So you’re looking at at least five years worth of updates from when they were discontinued.

Hey Ryan, thanks for your reply and I hope you are feeling better.

Hey is there a way to tell by serial number or MAC address which components are recent (Connects that have had the memory/performance update?) That would really help folks selling/buying used (or even left-over inventory at retailers)? These would have that increased performance that will help them behave better in the system/Sonosnet (words from Sonos support regarding trading out an old ZP90 for one built last year). Is using the icon on the volume rocker enough?

Nope, still sick.

If you can see the serial number, there are 4 digits that are at the beginning before the serial number starts (before the 00:0E) which should be the month and year the speaker was manufactured YYMM.

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Ryan SAuthor

Retired Sonos Staff

So are we done getting updates till May?

@Danos1, assuming you mean software updates, there probably are a few more to come to all devices before the legacy changeover in May.

Good to know, but I meant from Sonos about how they are going to handle this situation post CEO email. Many are still upset after the CEO’s Email because he said he heard us but didn't acknowledge that customers are angry about having to split their older systems or stop receiving feature updates for their newer systems. Will we have to wait till May till we hear more?

In that case, I don’t know. But if there is, I’ll be sure to share it in here with you all.

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Mark good posts by pressing the like button, and select the best answer on questions you've asked to help others find solutions.

A

andy_120

Enthusiast II

... For some of us who want to just purchase a few newer Connect or Connect Amps so we can get past this May shut-out/forced obsolesce/split system issue, There may be some economical options out there instead of the reduced functionality (and stupid expense) of the Amp and Port or the environmental disaster of the “trade-in” program. Of course Sonos isn’t clear about how much longer their so-called (Modern) units will be supported either...

@kassey22000, I know it’s buried several times in the pages of this thread and others, but we’ve committed to supporting our products with updates for at least five years after they’re no longer sold by us, after they’ve been discontinued. And as you all know, we have a track record of doing so for much longer than that. The 2015 Connect and Connect:Amps are only recently no longer sold, or in some cases still available at very limited stock levels. So you’re looking at at least five years worth of updates from when they were discontinued.

I'm sorry Ryan, but this was not what I was told when I brought into the sonos concept. It was sold as a hifi streaming system which could be added to make a truly remarkable system. But now products have an EOL policy, let me put it this way if I were to see a cake that cost £50 and I know that cake has a sell by date of a week. And there was another cake that costs £20 but has no use by date which one would you buy?? But again you have the £50 cake and the £20 cake both have no use by date, you buy the £50 cake as it a better quality but find out later it does have a use by date how would you feel about that.you would think I might as well got the £20 cake, this is exactly what sonos has done and frankly has killed the brand. Sonos may come up with this solution or that explanation of what will happen but non of the statementments returns us to the status que we had when we brought our systems. The sonos board ignore this fact at the company's peril but it's not to late to turn this around but I fear you won't.

Ryan you seem to have ignored this or I hope just missed it. It would be god to get your thoughts on my example

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patbla

Enthusiast II

In addition to my many legacy components (2 Connect, 1 Connect Amp, 2 Play 5, 1 CR200), I purchased a pair of Play 1 from Costco in the last month because I thought my Play 3s were overkill in my 5.1 system (playbar and sub) and I could re-purpose the 3s in my guest rooms (thereby introducing more of my friends and family to Sonos). Given this new policy I see the writing on the wall for the Play 1s and Play 3s so no point in spending more money.

I will now, for the first time, try to take advantage of one of the benefits of a Costco membership, the no questions asked return process as I have disposed of the packaging.

If asked why the return, rest assured that I will be explicit that it is solely as a result of this new policy.

Just wanted to share that Costco had no problem accepting my return. In fact they told me that as these are speakers there is a longer return window than just 90 days. The person at the return counter told me that he heard that something was going on with Sonos.

I will wait and see what is actually announced in May and may choose to repurchase at that time.

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J

johndar69

Lyricist I

Disappointed to say the least will not be buying anymore Sonos and gutted I sold my separate system now.

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MattHall

Lyricist I

Well, I have conventional speakers still working fine after 30 yrs and that is what I’m going to stick to or at least just Bluetooth ones. I can’t see why an app can’t be ‘set’ for control of the speakers via any music streamed source. They might not work within newer released speakers but these should be sold as a new line separate from the older ones and the incompatibility defined on release. Due to the uncertainty and the investment I’ve made, 2 play 5 1st gen, 2 play 1’s. It will be my last. Was just going to get a sound bar, not now. Any trage up at 30% would be at full RRP and that just isn’t enough. Bye bye SONOS.

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Whitenoise

Enthusiast I

... For some of us who want to just purchase a few newer Connect or Connect Amps so we can get past this May shut-out/forced obsolesce/split system issue, There may be some economical options out there instead of the reduced functionality (and stupid expense) of the Amp and Port or the environmental disaster of the “trade-in” program. Of course Sonos isn’t clear about how much longer their so-called (Modern) units will be supported either...

@kassey22000, I know it’s buried several times in the pages of this thread and others, but we’ve committed to supporting our products with updates for at least five years after they’re no longer sold by us, after they’ve been discontinued. And as you all know, we have a track record of doing so for much longer than that. The 2015 Connect and Connect:Amps are only recently no longer sold, or in some cases still available at very limited stock levels. So you’re looking at at least five years worth of updates from when they were discontinued.

Frankly, this statement of five-year support “[a]nd as you all know, we have a track record of doing so for much longer than that” is tone deaf at this point. Your company’s prior track record is plainly irrelevant now because it’s clear Sonos’ business model has changed. As a multi-room audio company, ongoing support for those core audio features was part of the deal. I understand that the smart speaker business is different, and Sonos’ ability to operate effectively in both markets has expired, but let’s not pretend that Sonos’ prior track record speaks to its new business model.

It speaks volumes that Sonos specifically designed a mechanism to brick Legacy devices and implemented detailed rules for its so-called Trade-up program but was ill-prepared to offer details on the effects of this announcement on its core customers.

Question 1: In five years, it is likely that at least some “modern” devices will become Legacy 2.0 devices. Will those Legacy 2.0 devices need to revert to Legacy 1.0 software, or does Sonos intend to provide its minimal software support to Legacy 1.0 and Legacy 2.0, and so on?

Question 2: The paltry 30% discount contingent on bricking a Legacy device is a clear statement to consumers that Sonos expects periodic obsolescence every 5 or so years. Otherwise, it would make business sense for Sonos to offer a reasonable “tradeup” program to not antagonize its core customers. Is Sonos rethinking the terms of its trade-up program?

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patbla

Enthusiast II

This email (Update 2/22: A message from our CEO) changed my decision: my Sonos systems is no longer up for sale!

But on May 1st, if you don’t have a very efficient way to split my system so that all my Sonos speakers work together and you keep them updated with bug fixes and security patches, I’ll will get rid of them!

Based on the communication we’ve had so far I’m pretty sure the definition of splitting your system is that the legacy and the current will have absolutely no contact with each other.

The whole house audio facility will no longer exit.

That’s if you personally choose to split the system.. you might want to keep it whole legacy for the foreseeable future. You wil still get the fixes and security updates, just no additional new features or newer hardware. If you prefer to standstill you will lose nothing and still have the whole home audio multiroom experience.

Again, this is not my understanding. No new features, yes. No new hardware, no. Adding additional speakers and units, legacy/used or modern/new, to a legacy environment is reportedly still going to be possible. Any device added to a Sonosnet receives controller version information from the environment when you add it and is given that version during the setup process. A new device, as any other, will be given the firmware required to operate in the environment its being added to at the time of registration/setup. If anyone has direct info that contradicts this please link it. (seriously, if i’m wrong I want to know).

While I agree that this is what they are saying I have a hard time believing that it will be possible and I have asked this question and was told to wait until May.

Here is why I believe that this will at best be a stopgap solution that will have to be dropped in the not too distant future:

They have never said that they are going to change the requirement that all components have the the same firmware version;
They say they are announcing new features and I can only assume new hardware; and
They have now taken a step back from the cliff by announcing that they will provide fixes and security updates for legacy components but I expect that they will do so if absolutely necessary;

Based on the above I have a hard time believing that they will update the “legacy” firmware to recognize components that are introduced after May, so if you stick with a “legacy” network then how are you supposed to add components that it doesn’t recognize?

Does anybody really believe that Sonos will support the ability to install a version of the firmware that was introduced before the new component was even introduced on the market? Will these new components even be tested to work with older firmware? Will the future hardware even be compatible?

I see no long term path forward for users that decide to maintain a network that contains legacy devices to add components other than those presently on the market, and maybe, if Sonos is feeling pressured, the first batch of new devices.

As I see it, the only way this works is if either:

Sonos allows different versions of the firmware to live on the same network;
Some sort of bridge device is created; or
legacy components receive minimal updates so that their version numbers continue to follow that of modern components.

I hope to be proven wrong.

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