Retired Sonos Staff

End of Software Support - Clarifications

December 8, 2022 at 11:29 AM
4256 replies
269823 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

This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

Show previous replies

melvimbe

Apparently my Bridge will become obsolete in May. Does anyone know what is being offered to replace it as l can’t find it on the Sonos website?

In many cases, there is no need to replace the Bridge. If you can’t directly wire one of your other devices to the router, you can run your system in wireless (WiFi) mode. if that’s not going to work, the Boost is the Bridge replacement. Sonos has not offered any trade in or other incentive for the Bridge at this time.

Danny

Taco5layer

Lyricist III

So, someone at SONOS was wise enough to foresee this revolt coming, but somebody else wasn't smart enough to take heed.

I THINK YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO THEM.

From SONOS’ SEC Q4 2019 filing:

We may choose to discontinue support for older versions of our products, resulting in customer dissatisfaction that could negatively affect our business and operating results.

We have historically maintained, and we believe our customers may expect, extensive backward compatibility for our older products and the software that supports them, allowing older products to continue to benefit from new software updates. We expect that in the near term, this backward compatibility will no longer be practical or cost-effective, and we may decrease or discontinue service for our older products. If we no longer provide extensive backward capability for our products, we may damage our relationship with our existing customers, as well as our reputation, brand loyalty and ability to attract new customers.

For these reasons, any decision to decrease or discontinue backward capability may decrease sales and adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.

J

Jennis

Lyricist II

The worst PR blunder in my lifetime (I’m 46). To be told 9 years after buying a high end sound system it is now redundant is outrageous. I was a huge advocate of Sonos - selling the benefits to many friends and family over the years. We now have 7 products around the house including P5s / P1s / Sub / Sound Bar / Connect - so very angry that loyal customers who supported Sonos while they were building the business have been treated in this way. To spend many £1000s on a system that will not last longer than 9 years is quite sickening. Can’t even bring myself to turn it on tonight. Unless Sonos very swiftly within the next 24hrs issues a massive apology and confirms they will continue the updates (I only want to listen to Apple Music - nothing more) or offer significantly more than the 30% discount (it would need to be 75%), I do fear for their survival. I can now no longer buy any more Sonos products until this is resolved - we have many more rooms to fill. Very happy to contribute towards legal action if this is what it takes - can a fund be set up?

D

Denny50

Contributor I

Sonos customer for seven years. I have spent a lot on a Gen1 Play 5, a Connect, a Connect Amp - all of which are being abandoned by Sonos - but only one of which I can trade up. I also recently bought a Beam and a couple of surround speakers. They are going to be dropped too if I don’t spend hundreds more updating the Play 5 and unplugging the Connects. This is a very shoddy way to treat your customers, and you should be ashamed of yourselves Sonos. I am not stupid though. This is going to keep happening isn’t it? Just ordered a Naim Muso qb Gen2 (thought I would stretch to the Gen 2, but I could have ordered the Gen1 as Naim … get this… still support their legacy products). Will keep the Beam, because it’s providing the sound for my tv. It will be the last Sonos product I ever own though. It’s goodbye from me.

Sounds like a class action lawsuit is needed!!

G

Gl75

Lyricist I

So Sonos will still release firmware to fix bugs. Will a streaming service that is currently supported changing API be considered a bug and receive a fix on legacy hardware?

That's the key question. Based on their answer I am in or out

P

PerfectSound

Lyricist III

Computer based systems? Sonos is selling speakers.

Yes, computer-based speakers. Every one has a Linux computer inside.

In your logic its totally ok that if you buy a new car it will not work after few years.

There is actually multiple different "computers" inside of new cars but no one will say that okay after May it might stop working.. Dont drive very far away from your home.

Its totally ok that you will not get all the latest thing to your car but its not okay that if it doesnt work at all. Same thing with the speakers.

G

Gary_15

Contributor I

SONOS, make these speaker modular!!!

A much better approach would have been to put the processing and memory components into a separate module that could be inserted into - or attached to a speaker or connect/amp. When memory and processing power becomes dated, replace the modules in the Connect/Amp or Play 1/3/5. Heck, make the same module for the entire range of SONOS devices so your loyal users can retain the amp and/or speakers they have paid so much money for.

Look, I get technology moves along at an alarming pace but we’re going to be here again in a few more years when the current modern devices become legacy. And the viscous circle starts again. SONOS can’t possibly sustain the loss of customers and business this will repeatedly generate.

SONOS has a rough road ahead with the recycling debacle, the eventual bricking of system components and the lawsuits against the conglomerates who both have competing (disposable) systems. Are they better, of course not. But they’re not costing hundreds of dollars apiece. SONOS is playing right into their hands and they’ve gotta be laughing.

I have 8x SONOS products; 6x of them are legacy so the majority of my system is now sitting on Death Row:

3x Play 5’s
2x Connects
1x Connect Amp

I absolutely love SONOS gear but now I’ve lost the trust with the company I’ve spent so much money with.

Mark my words, as boutique as SONOS gear is, this move will kill the company.

G

Goodbye Sonos

Enthusiast II

Perhaps I need to clarify with you (Sonos) that I will NEVER spend another penny on your products.

I expect my perfectly functional speakers to be supported - they ain’t a cheap throw away item.

I expect my newer speakers to be supported and not to be held hostage just because I was stupid enough to buy into your ecosystem and buy kit over time, investing considerable sums of money over the years. Just ‘cos I have older and newer kit I should not be punished into not receiving updates on my new kit just because I want to use it in conjunction with older kit.

I will not fall for your lies again.

Only a total idiot would spend money on your products after being dropped in it like this, why should you decide 50% of my kit is defunct! This is Hifi not a mobile phone.

The tech needed to play and stream music has not changed over the last few years - it is very low tech and has very low techincal processing requirements. This is a marketing decision to force me to buy new kit. Well I have news for you - it ain’t gonna happen. I will not spend any more money with you EVER!!

A

AP2050

Lyricist III

The big question here is that still doesn’t solve the problem of I have a separate legacy systems….Google Music makes a change to the API. Accordingly, Sonos pushes an update to rewrite the code to Google’s API but it only goes my modern products. Effectively, my streaming service to Google Music is dead if there is no update correct? and really any other streaming service that decides to update their API.

If I was Google, Amazon or Apple, on May 1st, I would rewrite my API calls effectively bricking the streaming component of old Sonos legacy products. Basically, and say sorry we can’t do anything, we are just you know, being modern. It’s Sonos fault for not updating like they have been for the past xx years.

You have basically given your competitor more frustrated Sonos customers to move to Apple, Amazon or Google for speakers instead of yourself.

Great job! Brilliant.

R

rick9957

Lyricist III

I don’t think Sonos will ever recover from this. Look at how ratings Are falling in product reviews. We bought several new items over the holidays and I can’t say I would purchase again.

Sonos seams to think supporting a product for 5 years is fine.

i drive a 2000 Honda Insight and its doing fine after 20 years

i use a dell precision 350 that is also 20 years old. I did upgrade the os to windows xp that is also discontinued but it still works

i have tv’s, connected appliances, and even a 40 year old Atari game system that are all computer based. They still provide their original functionality even though by most standards they are obsolete. The trouble with your announcement is that you are purposely speeding obsolescence and expecting customers to purchase again. I don’t want new features but I do expect you to keep the original functionality of the devices for which we paid a premium price

Show more replies

Sign up

Login to the community