Sonos has announced that it will stop updating the software of some of its oldest products in May, effectively meaning that they will no longer gain new features and security patches. Sonos has claimed that 92% of the products it has shipped are still in use today, which is an impressive statistic and a testament to the durability of these speakers and audio systems - Sonos does make some of the best smart speakers on the market. However, technology has advanced in ways which has stretched Sonos' oldest products "to their technical limits in terms of memory and processing power."
Much of the technology which will stop receiving updates was launched well over ten years ago, before the iPhone, Spotify and most smart home technology was released. These products weren't designed to work with a lot of the newer technology on the market, from voice assistants to new streaming services.
Luckily for those affected, Sonos is making it easier to trade-in these products and will give you a 30% discount when you upgrade to a newer model.
What Sonos devices are affected?
This update will only concern the 'legacy kit' products, all of which were discontinued at least five years ago. The models in question are as follows:
- Sonos Bridge
- Sonos Connect
- Sonos Connect:Amp
- Sonos CR200 wireless remote
- Sonos Play:5 (Gen 1)
- Sonos Zone Players (ZP90, ZP100, ZP120, etc)
What are your options?
In the fast-paced world of technology, it's not uncommon to have to phase out old hardware to make room for advancements. We saw it recently with the death of Windows 7 and its subsequent free upgrade to Windows 10. All companies can do is help make this transition as easy and cheap as possible.
There's two things to do if your Sonos product is affected:
Firstly, you can continue to use it, knowing that without software updates it will become less and less capable of pairing with developing technologies and software.
This might not be a problem for you if you don't use more modern streaming services. After all, these products are only out-of-date if your 'interconnected ecosystem' is still being regularly updated.
Secondly, Sonos is giving you 30% credit for each legacy product you replace. Sonos's trade up program will recycle your old products and erase any personal information they once held to eliminate the environmental and security ramifications of this option.
This announcement may leave you looking for the best wireless speakers or sound bars, but the offer of a 30% discount makes this transition a bit sweeter. This option gives you the change to get the shiny new Sonos Move speaker.
