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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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    4256 replies

    Show previous replies
    macallan18
    Enthusiast I
    Jan 27, 2020 2:44 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 plan was made to increase sales, but the logic is flawed. Your current customers will never trust you enough now to buy anything new at this point. The 30% offer is a joke. Potential ‘new’ customers will have heard about this tactic, so why would they buy? Not because you are trustworthy for future products. This tactic will NOT increase sales. You have wounded your company, your shareholders and your customers.

     

    The only thing that can save the situation is for you to clearly articulate that new and legacy will have interoperability either through a bridge device or software (which you already have demonstrated with Airplay 2 using Sonos One and ‘legacy devices’).

     

    If I was chair of the Sonos board, you would be hearing hoofbeats Mr. Spence. I think shareholders would demand your removal.

    That was exactly the miscalculation. "Our customers love our products, they love us, they will understand this."

     

    They had the first two right. The long term support of older products differentiated them from all the challengers. I didnt trust Bose, heos, any of these to survive the way sonos had. The trust and loyalty is gone, with the single biggest selling point.

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      annascott
      Enthusiast I
      Jan 27, 2020 2:53 AM UTC

      Sadly i have 2 of my 8 devices as legacy. I certainly am now worried for the future of the others speakers.

      I think the main thing that has really upset people is the fact Sonos speakers are being marketed now with a 5 year life span, for the price that has been paid for them over competitor products.

      Plus you can't compare to other products we buy. Most people will buy 3 to 10 Sonos speakers spending in excess of $5000.

      Most people only buy 1 mobile phone, not 3 to 10. Hence you can understand the need to upgrade in 3 years time.

      Most people buy 1 or 2 computers, not 3 to 10.

      Most people buy 1 - 3 TVs. Not 10. Plus you can continue to watch TV forever. 

      Its just not comparable. 

      Translate
        Brill
        Lyricist III
        Jan 27, 2020 3:47 AM UTC

         

        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.  

         

        Agree, this is the issue. I have 24 Sonos devices. No way am I replacing or upgrading them all. If I spend more money it will be on a different brand.
         

         

         

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          Kumar
          Jan 27, 2020 4:02 AM UTC

          @annascott 

          The linked thread may be of interest to you:

          https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/the-sonos-brexit-and-a-pragmatic-way-past-it-6836056

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            TaxProf
            Lyricist I
            Jan 27, 2020 4:31 AM UTC

            Even the Sonos founder (John MacFarlane) has “legacy” products (he also has a few other comments):

            https://twitter.com/johnlmacfarlane?lang=en

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              Anonymous
              Jan 27, 2020 6:20 AM UTC

               

               

               

              There’s someone suing about the  2017 privacy policy change in Europe.  Here’s a link to the article.  The Privacy Policy changes were the same in the US as Europe but… I’m not sure American’s have a right to sue for this type of stuff.  In any event, https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/04/10/sonos_privacy_complaint_ico/

               

               

              I am really pleased to see this. I’ve said it on here before, and I’ll say it again. It was this move by Sonos that really showed me what they were capable of. If you didn’t agree to register your products, then you couldn’t get updates and in a very short period of time your system became useless. They were holding us hostage if we didn’t agree to the terms they made up. Terms they made up by the way, after the items were already purchased. So good on whoever is suing them. Best of luck to you.

              Translate
                DK_Madsen
                Enthusiast II
                Jan 27, 2020 6:57 AM UTC

                If you think about a Symfonisk is more functional than a play 1.. when Sonos brick your Symfonisk in a few years you can at least continue to use it as a shelf. 

                Symfonisk is also a bit bigger so it will be easier to rip the “sonos” innards out when Sonos kills it, and replace it with some generic Bluetooth / streaming / amplifier PCB and just reuse the case and actual speaker units.

                Translate
                DK_Madsen
                Enthusiast II
                Jan 27, 2020 7:08 AM UTC

                If you think about a Symfonisk is more functional than a play 1.. when Sonos brick your Symfonisk in a few years you can at least continue to use it as a shelf. 

                Well the Symfonisk have 4 times the RAM and ROM of the Play 1, so i would expect it to last a little longer.

                 

                Atleast if Sonos is truthful about the reason for scrapping the 5, being that it has too little ram/rom

                 

                Also the Symfonisk seems to have the same processor as the later version of the Play 1, and this processor has more processing power so should not be obsoleted as fast.

                 

                But that is all on the asumption that Sonos is NOT scrapping old products to be able to sell new, but rather because of hardware limitations, and this seems highly unlikely now.

                Translate
                  Cchris
                  Enthusiast II
                  Jan 27, 2020 7:27 AM UTC

                  Let's be clear, the reasoning of devices reaching technical limits is just a poor excuse.

                  Those devices being categorised as legacy need do nothing more than receive an audio stream.

                  It is ENTIRELY possible for this to be done by having another device in the mesh/network do the processing and pass this stream to a legacy device.

                  It could be achieved by either the addition of a separate single box in the mesh controlling this, or existing more powerful devices processing the audio for its legacy neighbour/s.

                  It is exactly the same principal as your wireless headphones with 2mb ram being able to play sound while your phone, ipad whatever does the work of receiving, transcodeing and transmitting the stream.

                  This move by sonos, coupled with it's new hardware having a "5 year support" line is nothing but a transition toward making sonos a disposable item like a smartphone.

                  A single smartphone in my pocket may be disposable every 5 years.

                  A 20 zone multi room music system with a £6000 ($8000) price tag, is NOT a 5 year disposable item for me.

                  Translate
                    DK_Madsen
                    Enthusiast II
                    Jan 27, 2020 7:40 AM UTC

                    That was exactly the miscalculation. "Our customers love our products, they love us, they will understand this."

                     

                    They had the first two right. The long term support of older products differentiated them from all the challengers. I didnt trust Bose, heos, any of these to survive the way sonos had. The trust and loyalty is gone, with the single biggest selling point.

                    I think one of the problems for Sonos is that they looked at Apple, and thought “We are the same”.

                     

                    Apple can get away with some crazy shit towards their costumers and they still buy apple products.

                    Sonos now knows that there IS actually a line that can be crossed for their costumers and that they are in fact NOT Apple and Sonos users are NOT “sheep” like a lot of apple users, that will take any kind of abuse from apple and still say thank you. :)

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