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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gward1211

Lyricist I

I probably don’t need to add my 2 cents worth as there is already 717 people who have (mostly) vented their anger. I suppose Microsoft also doesn’t support its products forever. But, at least you can keep the old MS Windows working even if it will only run on an equally old machine. You can still get MS XP if you need it for an old machine performing a specific function. Will Sonos make earlier versions of its software available so that if I have to replace my PC or smartphone I will be able to reconnect to my “legacy”Sonos system with the new devices?

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MrSwadge

Enthusiast I

Someone's already created a boycott Sonos website:

https://boycottsonos.com/

Surely Sonos need to wake up and take note. They are causing themselves significant commercial harm and it's entirely self inflicted.

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Denvernative2

Lyricist I

Sonos is a programming shop. If they wanted to they could absolutely devise a way for “legacy” products ( how stupid a term is that for some gear which is only 5 years old) to interface with newer products - without forcing the disposal of thousands and thousands of dollars of gear that early adopters spent hard earned dollars on. IF THEY WANTED TO. They clearly don’t. This feel like nothing short of a money grab dressed up as a “technical necessity” and a kick in the nuts to those of us that supported the company in its early days. Not to mention how poorly this was rolled out. I got an email with the subject line “ Your system needs some attention.” It might as well have said “ Sonos requires you to spend $3,000 to get what you already have!”

Its a pathetic joke. How disappointing.

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Discopablo

Lyricist I

This totally BS. The point is that even if u do get sucked in AGAIN and buy their new speakers, what stops them from doing the same thing in 5 years time.

I bought into the Sonos brand early and felt I was part of the brand. In one email Sonos has destroyed that. Quite impressive actually.

I have spent thousands of my hard earned dollars on Sonos equipment that is now going to become worthless.

u are dead to me Sonos.

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Keith9539

Lyricist I

If Sonos legacy devices cannot keep up with complex software and streaming service API requirements, why not remove that requirement from the speaker itself? Can they not build a bridge (or controller) that integrates with the app and streaming services, and then streams the music to the speakers using existing streaming methods? It seems like this is a simple solution- remove the hefty processing requirements from the speaker, and move them to a different (more capable) device.

I was about to post a similar idea. This seems pretty basic: Develop a reasonably priced (< $50, and make this eligible for the 30% discount) external device to handle the memory and processing for the “legacy” unit. I’d choke down this bitter pill to keep my excellent Gen 1 P5 and connect amps going without 2nd networks, other silly complications and the looming suspicion that my system would simply one day stop outright.

Without such device or other upgrade path to keep basic operation running seamlessly, I, like others will find myself going elsewhere when the first ‘helpful’ upgrade wipes out half of my system.

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chickentender

So, what functionality exactly will I lose if I just hold onto my 1st Gen Play:5? I take the software updates but am really unclear as to what that does for me.

Please answer this. Perhaps I, and many others, will be less angry if we know the answer to that question.

@FrontRangeTraveller, after the last updates in May, you can continue to use legacy products (your Play:5 gen1) and your experience will initially remain the same. We don't expect any immediate impacts from ending software updates. However, functionality of features and services will be impacted as technology evolves, over time. If all you have is the Play:5 gen1, the biggest thing you’ll notice is that you won’t get any more updates. If you use music services or voice assistants, or any other connected service, over time those may have trouble if their software changes and the Play:5 can’t update.

Ryan, can I ask a very blunt question with hopefully a hint at answer.
I very curious as to which of the popular streaming services Sonos has had the most, what one might call synergistic and favorable working relationship with. Of course I refer to all the bigger and smaller names and am wondering if the largest giants of those entities (those I’ll not name who also have other product offerings across many markets) may not be among that short-list.
I ask to try and gauge which provider of streaming music now integrated with Sonos might be the best long-term choice for Sonos products relegated to legacy status, e.g. could conceivably work the longest based on the track record of working with Sonos in the past from a development standpoint. There is of course the recent legal proceedings that prompt this question in part as well, since it could be presumed some parties involved may not act so favorably in the future, and (it seems now) have not acted so favorably in the past (again from a development standpoint).
I’m still up for rooting for underdogs.

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sheareb

Trending Lyricist I

Assume everyone is emailing the CEO Using the link on Sonos site....

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Discopablo

Lyricist I

One further reason not to buy Sonos products again is asking the reason behind this cost saving move.
1. they are in financial trouble and thus buying their products is risky as they may be out of business at any time. Or

they don’t care about their customers and thus it is risky to buy.

Anyway u look at it, u would have to be mad to further commit to this ecosystem.

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wittywoo

Lyricist I

Well done SONOS. This a completely ludicrous stance for you to take. SONOS you are being very greedy, Do you think that you have done right by your many loyal customers? I do not think so. Like many others, I too have spent thousands of pounds getting my SONOS system. You say I have two legacy products, yet I do not see a replacement for one of them, really? 30% discount you are having a laugh. Most people work hard for their money to facilitate the purchase of your luxury items.

The bottom of the SONOS second hand market is going fall and kiss its backside goodbye. ha ha ha your share price fell today, see how your announcement has bitten you in the rear end.

I certainly will not be investing one more penny with SONOS, until you rethink and announce that I will still be able to receive updates to my current items whilst still being connected to my legacy items.

So as a matter of interest, when will my soundbar become legacy, I have had that longer than my connect amp?

From one of your extremely unhappy loyal customers.

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chickentender

This gives, at the very least, a bit of pause to my anger… and redirects a fair portion of it.

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

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