Starting May, the U.S.-based consumer electronics business Sonos will cease to send updates on the software of their older model Sonos speakers and other gadgets. It means that their older model products will not receive additional features.
Which Products will be Affected?
This decision made by the company affects all of the company's 'legacy' products. These products include the Sonos Zone Speakers, the Generation 1 Play:5, and more. For the Connect and Connect: Amp products of the company, affected products are those released from 2011 to 2015 only.
According to a statement by the company, the inability to update the software of older model players negatively affects its sound quality and overall function. The reason for this scenario is that music providers are at progressively improving their music quality. Music quality from service providers is employing the latest technologies in the market.
The business advises its customers to use Sonos Speakers of older models until the end of April, where its system updates will cease delivery. Afterward, customers wi upgrade to a newer version or model. Due to this announcement, the company offers to sell the neede newer versions of Sonos speakers and other products at a discounted price.
Sonos Speakers' Recycle Mode Software
In December 2019, people criticized Sonos for its 'recycle mode' software. It is a software that was designed by the company to make the old versions of their products inoperable. In exchange, newer Sonos speakers and other products of the companies will be at a 30% discount.
According to the company, they created the software to protect consumers from buying outdated Sonos speaker products. Despite the criticisms of its products, the company still stands firm with its decision. They believe that their campaign will help promote proper electronic product recycling practices.
The First Sonos Play 5 Speaker
Sonos is strongly reminding the public that these affected gadgets were those sold since 2006.
According to Sonos, it is their company's legacy to offer system updates up to five years after the last sale of a version of their Sonos speaker.
In 2009, they launched the Sonos Play 5 (1st Generation). It will be the first speaker to reach the last software update support from the company.
As long as the company is still selling a version of its product, its software support will always be carried out by the company.
How to Keep your Sonos Old Model Products
In May, Sonos will be introducing a method on how customers can keep using their older Sonos speakers. This ducts from their latest Sonos devices.
By not following the instructions provided by Sonos will make the overall Sonos System unable to receive software updates. If one of the components of a customer's Sonos system is an affected version, all other parts will not receive updates.
What to Expect in May for Sonos Systems
It will be the first time that the company will stop sending system updates to some of its older version models. It means that many Sonos systems will have to make do with their current system update in May. They can prevent this by separating the old Sonos device components with the other latest Sonos components.
The company is yet to design a system to help with this issue. This option will be available on the company's FAQ page.
