Retired Sonos Staff

End of Software Support - Clarifications

December 8, 2022 at 11:29 AM
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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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User933635

Prominent Collaborator I

And you are complaining and suing because someone is treating you wrong. Pass it on brother!

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/07/technology/sonos-sues-google.html

If you can’t read this (behind the NYT paywall) then see here: https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/sonos-says-google-amazon-stole-its-speaker-technology-2020-01-15

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sneezy33

Lyricist I

I have always thought the Sonos system has been fantastic - I have 5 systems through the house as have my dad and brother on my recommendation. How can I possibly recommend it to anyone else now?

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mightyalfie

Lyricist I

My ‘legacy’ products are less than 2 years old and they expect me to upgrade, giving them more money?

are they stupid?

never buying another Sonos product,never recommending them, in fact the opposite!

go to trustpilot I have!

goodbye Sonos it was good before you ruined ev

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User554761

Contributor I

Well that was good timing by SONOS. As my Play 5 and Connect are going to be obsolete shortly what are the chances of any other kit being forced into obsolescence a couple of years down the line. I was just about to invest in a Beam, Sub and a couple of Play 1’s but won’t be bothering now. Like most others on here I have invested significantly into the Sonos ecosystem and recommended it to anyone who will listen. As least two friends purchased many items based on my set up, and I bought following a recommendation from another friend. Can’t imagine anyone recommending them now. Will Sonos be around in two years following this announcement?

What a sad end to a brilliant bit of kit

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Brian_134

Lyricist III

I’ve been planning all month to go out and buy two play ones and a sub to add to my collection on payday (tomorrow) I’m done with Sonos. 30% discount was laughable this new announcement is outrageous.

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larsj

Enthusiast II

Compare and contrast with Tado, the smart heating control system that subsequently added a subscription model:

https://www.newhometricks.com/blog/2018/10/4/is-tado-still-worth-it

Take note Sonos:

I was happy with my Honeywell EvoHome system before I moved house last year. But I didn’t rush to buy the same for my new house because it’s now five years old and I don’t know when they’ll release a new one/end support for the old.
I did consider Tado for the new house, but it seemed they’d sold people the system and then introduced a subscription model. I don’t mind paying the subscription in principle but:
- It’s very expensive for updating a piece of software with such a narrow focus - once it works, it works. There are only so many ways you can turn on and off the heating.
- It made me wonder if I can trust the company.

Result: I am in no hurry to invest in a smart heating system for my new home. And thanks to the actions of Sonos, I am even more nervous.

Same with smart lighting. I bought a few LifX bulbs for lamps (they’re brighter than Philips Hue) but left the main ceiling lights intact. I guess I had a sense that the smart home business model is a ticking time bomb, albeit a problem that can be easily solved with clear, honest, up-front communication and listening to customers instead of shareholders.

Before I purchase any new smart heating system, or light bulbs, I will write to the company and ask them “will you do a Sonos?” They’ll know what I mean.

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Lomas

Lyricist III

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tcarruth

Contributor I

Never buying another Sonos product - and neither will any of my friends or family if I have any say in it. This is a horrible decision that will abandon your core customer base and will eventually crater your business. I’ve spent over $3k on Sonos products over the years but will never spend another dime.

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kassey22000

Enthusiast II

OK, so I understand that the legacy speakers won’t have the chops in the future. You could turn this stink around by offering a more generous upgrade. 70% discount (or your cost) would go down easier then 30%. I’ve been an early booster and a recent stockholder.

The resale market for used Sonos products is tanking meaning we’ll all get stuck and Sonos will never go that low. Besides all of that, there simply aren’t replacement components yet for some of the legacy gear. Shortsighted businessmen strike again and the consumer is screwed. Time to get govt. agencies, social media, resellers, and more involved.

And wouldn’t you know it they dropped this bomb right after CES as tech pubs would have been all over this debacle!

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Chris Morgs

Lyricist II

I am finding this a bit confusing. I have a Connect that I only bought less than a year ago. When I login into sonos.com it shows this as a ‘modern product’. So will this change in May to be shown as a Legacy product? Perhaps Sonos could provide the serial numbers of products that are either currently obsolete or will be obsolete in May please.

I get that old products get out of date but I think the answer is just to provide a better discount for people in this situation. Offering a product at cost price and keeping a loyal customer would be the best business decision surely...

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