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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G

Goodbye Sonos

Enthusiast II

I haven’t dismissed this, no where have I said these things don’t matter - they do

You’re right, you didn’t dismiss it. You just never address it. Do you think it makes sense for Sonos to create such a device. Can then deveop, test, manufacture the device by May, for the limited market at a price customers can except that won’t be a huge lose for Sonos? Is that plan better than the loss Sonos is likely to take from their current plan? I don’t know for sure, but I find that very doubtful.

For the sake of clarity, I find it doubtful that a project of this nature could be started, developed and delivered to market between now and May - that’s a period of about 11 weeks which is not a lot of time.

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Razorhog

Enthusiast II

I haven’t been following this thread closely in a while. Has there been any other official communication from Sonos besides the two emails? I suppose those in charge at Sonos feel that the matter is put to rest, but I sure don’t.

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Acer99

Avid Contributor I

I have been reading through this thread with dismay. I have slowly built up my system over many years and now have the perfect system for my use. I was completely satisfied with it. Now I’m told that my play 5 gen 1 is legacy and my entire system is going to be compromised in some way. Ironically I considered ‘upgrading’ to the new play 5 a while ago when it was available at a great price (better than30% off) but decided that it offered small gains over existing one and I find the plastic look of it far less classy than the gen 1. Anyway what next? I agree that trust has gone almost entirely. When will my play 1s need upgrading? Also the gen 2 play 5 has been around for a bit now and who on earth would consider the ancient playbar? Sonos will have to introduce a ‘use by” date for their range whereby you’ll know how long the expensive products you’re buying will last. I thought my products would work until they broke which I expected to be a very long time given the premium price. Also I really don’t need anything more than the ability to play multi room music. Can we slim down the firmware? Bin truetone and other features that are causing customer and environmental headaches. If I’d known this was going to happen I honestly would have hung on to my previous Sonos equipment.

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attacama40

Headliner I

I haven’t been following this thread closely in a while. Has there been any other official communication from Sonos besides the two emails? I suppose those in charge at Sonos feel that the matter is put to rest, but I sure don’t.

None Razorhog and this is the problem.

I don’t have strongly held tech beliefs (probably not bright enough to do so :grinning: ) but I do know that we need direction and a path or intention from Sonos.

Probably that’s all a large percentage of us need to keep listening … and who knows maybe agreeing if we like what we hear?

In the meantime while we have no clear updates, even the most patient and open minded of us are looking elsewhere … and trying and buying!

Should those at Sonos feel it is a ‘done deal’ then I’d suggest that to be shortsighted.

Whilst debate as to possible architecture, hardware and possible tech solution is interesting (and it is), the more that debate swirls, the more Sonos gets let off the accountability hook.

We do (as you say) need a new and clear update. Has been quite a while and it is entirely reasonable to expect some words. Saying to ‘wait until May’ was a start. But it’s not enough.

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B

Beagle

Enthusiast I

I haven’t been following this thread closely in a while. Has there been any other official communication from Sonos besides the two emails? I suppose those in charge at Sonos feel that the matter is put to rest, but I sure don’t.

Or they’re running around like headless chickens with no plan B as plan A turns into a PR shambles.

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J

John B

What is there to update at this stage? In May you can keep everything in legacy mode, split your system or upgrade your legacy devices.

What extra information are you expecting a couple of weeks after the announcement?

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attacama40

Headliner I

What is there to update at this stage? In May you can keep everything in legacy mode, split your system or upgrade your legacy devices.

What extra information are you expecting a couple of weeks agter the announcement?

It was a marketing holding statement, nothing more. Is normal marketing stuff … 101. Anyone who ever worked in that sector knows this. Good or bad. And they do. They absolutely do.

Good enough in itself but enough to buy folks loyalty? I think not. Is why we are 140 pages of yabber later on. Of which I have played my part. You too I imagine.

Clear statements that stamps on disquiet? Usually effective if not endearing.

Do not misunderstand, I’m not looking to jump on and bury Sonos. I just want to know (precisely) were we are going. We are halfway through Feb. So that’s effectively 10 working weeks away? They absolutely know what the May statement will be.

No corporation on earth would not know what they are going to announce … and why.

And yes, two weeks on, we (the Sonos buying and enjoying public) have an expectation to hear.

737Max, New formula Coke, a dozen others … you can turn a tanker around on a sixpence if you have the will or desire. I don’t mean ‘agree with me’ but ‘do as you say and say as you do’ …. it almost always works … for individuals or corporations.

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John B

But they have said what the options will be. If they haven't changed their minds what else is there to say?

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annascott

Enthusiast I

But they have said what the options will be. If they haven't changed their minds what else is there to say?

Sounds like you are across or then. So John, what happens in a few months or years time, there are more legacy "part 2" devices? Do those devices that were part of the modern group in modern firmware working with the latest streaming services, be pushed back to the legacy group? So in effect then all future marked legacy would go back to what will work ending May 2020?

Or will there be multiple legacy groups, all supporting different services? You could end up then with 3 or 4 groups in years to come.

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kiwibob

Lyricist II

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:

Patrick Spence
CEO, Sonos

Actually let me tell you about the path forward.

I have just bought a new Bose soundbar for our spare room. The Sonos one rates better and costs more or less the same but I’m no longer convinced of the benefits of the ‘smart’, ‘integrated’ network if the products are only supported for a few years.

I’ll keep what we’ve got (16 Sonos devices apparently) going while I can but you guys aren’t on the short list for replacements.

Looks to me like Sonos needs new managment

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