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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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...

@Chris Morgs, your Connect is a newer device with better hardware than the older version of the Connect. If it’s a Connect made after 2015 it is not a legacy device and in May it will continue on as a Modern device. It’s the older version of the Connect (previously named the ZP90 or ZP80) which won’t be getting updates after May.

Thanks for clarifying Ryan (so quickly). At first read of the announcement it seemed that all Connects were becoming legacy devices so this is clearly not the case.

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Goodbye Sonos

Enthusiast II

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.

Will this remove the ability to group old and new products together. Will this prevent the ability to stream music across all products in sync if you own a mixture of old and new ones?!?!?

I responded to your other thread, too, but yes, you would have two systems on your network, a modern system and a legacy system. They’d be separate.

Well that’s brilliant then…

100% loss of basic functionality from day #1 of linking speakers together in a group.

The basic function of the system no longer works!

And you think this is acceptable to your customers!!!!

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User933635

Prominent Collaborator I

Just updated your product description for you.

*** I know the Play:1 is still receiving updates at the moment! ***

But I don’t think it’s being sold on the sonos web site any more as already pointed out. Just checked and they are only in ‘Refurbished’ and currently out-of-stock: https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/play1-b-stock.html You may be able to get them in NZ, but how long before ‘legacy’?; I thought this was a term for what happens to infrastructure and public health campaigns after the Olympic games, but we are all learning a new definition today!

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Simo72

Lyricist I

This is so upsetting.

I spent a lot of money in just two years and now 2 of my products not only will become legacy, but also will compromise the other ones which will not receive updates and will probably became legacy as well in the next months.

30% in an insult, if you compromise my system because you are not able to maintain your software on 2 years old hardware you should provide a 70% discount.

i will stop increasing my system ( right now I have 3 play1, 2 play3, 1 play5, 1 playbar, 1 subwoofer, 1 move and 1 connect ), look for an alternative (open for community suggestions), sell everything and of course stop being a sonos evangelist.

simone

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Sparkyboots

Enthusiast I

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.

We have a tado system installed and what wasn't reported much is they offered existing customers a deal of pay a one off £12 to move over to the new app without subscription that's over a year ago now and still going strong working well.

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Disgusted2020

Lyricist II

More useful and a better shelf life than my Play 5 Gen 1…...

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AndyKnight

Trending Lyricist I

As I relax this evening and listen to my Connect streaming Spotify to my Audio Note Dac, Cary tube pre amp, and DIY tube amps on some really nice speakers, I’m surfing the web for my Connect replacement, using a Google tablet which Sonos just told me 2 weeks ago was no longer getting any updates either. How nice.

I’ve been considering what to do next for about a year now. I’ve been a very happy Sonos customer for over 10 years now. All my music has been ripped to digital, and working nicely. Sonos can stream up to FLAC file formats, but I’ve wanted to explore hi-res formats, with a system like Roon tied into it all.

One thing about Sonos history, they never told you anything about what was planned or in the works. With this announcement I guess my decision has been made for me. I was hoping with the new products released there would be news about support for hi-res streaming support, but alas silence.

So, I end up with 3 Connects, 2 Amps, and 3 speakers that have one foot in the grave for now. I could keep the now obsolete hardware and run a stagnant musical environment and/or upgrade to newer, better technology for streaming purposes at least. It’s a shame, I really love my Sonos, but like a cheating women, she doesn’t look so good any more.

I hope there’s a better ending to all of this for you folks who have so much more into their Sonos gear than I do. Good luck, keep bashing them, there might be hope yet.

Oh, what’s this, I see this Bluesound thing on my none supported tablet, gotta run guys.

Great, another option I thought when you mentioned bluesound. Until I checked them out and yes all their devices have a similar massive premium to sonos and even their sound bar only supports dolby digital. They might as well be called sonos lol.

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VinceC

Lyricist I

Like many here I’ve been using Sonos for over 10 years and have invested heavily, adding products along the way (the most recent two in the last month).

So I’m now told that I need to rebuy expensive components that are working just fine, for replacement components that support features I simply don’t want or use. If I don’t do that the rest of my equipment will be crippled. I’m simply not going to do that.

I’ve always recommended Sonos to family and friends but this arrogance and lack of customer care means that I’d rather write off my current investment than give Sonos any more of my hard earned cash.

Such a shame.

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chickentender

Honestly think the company missed a trick. Put out a new device, as mentioned previously, that allows legacy and modern to co-exist - people with thousands invested would pay for it - they’d grumble, but they’d pay.

This move has destroyed brand confidence. Even if they walk this back, which seems unlikely, how can we trust them? I’m not affected extensively by this change, yet, but as I add new kit (need a new home cinema) I’m going to have to look to build something sustainable - but man do I hate wires.

Wires are dependable.

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Stuart_17

Enthusiast II

I have never experienced a brand that I love go from hero to zero in 24 hours like this. it is not a nice feeling at all.

it kind of feels like they are self harming.

4% off the share price in two days and I see that doubling before the week is out.

Shame on you Sonos, I fear this may the start of the end . We had something good and you blew it.

2 x Play 5’s on death row.

15 x Play 1’s knowing they haven’t got long!

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